1

Just now I discovered the "Pointer Location" dev app on Android, which tells how much pressure is being applied on the point on the touchscreen. They even have it since Android 1.0.

I know there may not be dedicated pressure sensors and it is just an estimate depending on point size.

I am saying that why didn't or couldn't Android implement "Force Touch" in Android phones? They have the pressure readings ready. They even have the method which when called gives the pressure.

P.S. I am running LineageOS unofficial build for my OnePlus One.

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

Don't run to conclusions early - some Huawei/Meizu/ZTE flagships has it, sometimes referred to as "3D Press" or other names.

Ultimately the feature is worthless - it requires 3rd-party apps to integrate well, but since Android doesn't have a native implementation of it (yet), there's no way apps could adapt to all the proprietary standards raised by different manufacturers. The app support situation and the sales of the above phones proves the point.

This situation is quite similar to what fingerprint scanners have experienced on Android before Marshmallow, except that it's of even fewer actual use than it.

Improve this answer
7
  • 1
    And don't get started on how Apple did it - as a sole controller of its ecosystem, it can forcefully push any standard it wants.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 7:09
  • Agreed sir, but what about any other apps, such as entertainment or games etc... Or even some utilities may be able to use the pressure readings to perform a task, right? I mean it exists... So why even app devs have not used it?
    – Niranjan Dixit
    Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 7:13
  • 1
    @NiranjanDixit What exists? If you mean the pointer location option in Developer Options, no it does not sense pressure - the PRS value changes with the area your finger lays on the screen, not pressure (try applying more force but still use the fingertip). How is the phone supposed to support it without corresponding hardware?
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 8:37
  • Right, that's why I said "estimate" or emulated value.
    – Niranjan Dixit
    Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 9:00
  • @NiranjanDixit Well, ultimately it still boils down to whether it's stable enough and of enough use to warrant extra effort put into development. See how many apps, especially games, on iOS that haven't adopted Force Touch.
    – Andy Yan
    Commented Jan 21, 2017 at 14:53
0

The fact that some kind of estimation of the pressure is there doesn't mean that it works well. It is better to stick to features that are more reliable. Half-baked options are not something welcome in operating systems.

Also, don't you think this would be copying Apple's idea?

Improve this answer
2
  • Is copying a competitor's idea a bad thing? If no manufacturers copied their competitors ideas we would have pretty featureless devices today
    – Jonny Wright
    Commented Jan 22, 2017 at 15:05
  • Yes but, as I said, the measurements are not precise enough to make this an official feature.
    – user205920
    Commented Jan 23, 2017 at 19:54

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .