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Report: Apple Readying iPhone With Force Touch

 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Your next iPhone might be a bit more sensitive.

According to Bloomberg, production has started on a next-gen iPhone that includes Force Touch, a pressure-sensitive technology that is featured on the new MacBook (pictured) and Apple Watch .

The new iPhones won't change much on the outside, Bloomberg said, which isn't a huge surprise, since they only just got a major upgrade last year. But the addition of a Force Touch display will let users call up different features depending on how hard they press on the screen.

Rumors of a Force Touch display on the new iPhone emerged last month in a report from 9to5Mac. The blog said iOS 9 will be "Force Touch-ready," meaning developers can create apps that will take advantage of the technology on iPhone 6s, particularly on services like maps, media players, and calendars.

As PCMag explains in the video below, Force Touch adds pressure sensitivity and haptic feedback to devices, which helped eliminate the physical springs in the MacBook trackpad to keep that laptop thinner, for example. On Apple Watch, haptic (or "taptic") feedback is used for alerts and other customizable features.

Bloomberg suggested Apple was adopting the technology to keep pace with rivals like Samsung, which added a sloping display on its Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone.

If Apple keeps to its usual release schedule, we'll likely hear more about its newest smartphones in September.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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