Apple's new patents have been released by the US Patent & Trademark Office, hinting at the return of the company's 3D Touch technology.
For those who are unaware, Force Touch, also known as 3D Touch, was a technology employed by Apple for several years until being replaced with Haptic Touch. The 3D touch feature enabled iPhone users to access various menus by merely applying varied levels of pressure on the phone's display.
The patents (via Patently Apple) depict force-pressure sensors incorporated into an Apple Watch and a MacBook trackpad. Apple's new pressure-sensitive surface, according to the patent, would use microelectromechanical fluid pressure sensors. These sensors would be smaller, more sensitive to force, and more robust than traditional pressure sensors.
The new pressure sensors will most likely function like the click buttons on a MacBook trackpad. The Apple Watch patent illustration, on the other hand, depicts the new sensors implanted in the watch's physical button as well as its strap. The wristwatch will be able to measure blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse wave velocity via pressure sensors in its strap thanks to the new technology.
The pressure sensor is also rumoured to be included in the AirPods. These new sensors might be used in the stem of the AirPods to make switching tracks, playing and stopping music, answering calls, and altering volume levels more easier by applying various amounts of pressure for each input.
