While Apple is nowadays quite busy in preparing the much-awaited tenth anniversary iPhone, its closest competitor and the world's leading smartphone company -- Samsung -- is planning to hit hard the Cupertino giant by imitating one of its most innovative technologies. The new development is rumoured to emerge on the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 and was debuted on the iPhone 6s back in 2015.
The feature in question is none other than 3D Touch, which is a proprietary technology that senses pressure on the display to offer additional software functions. Apple had developed an initial version of the display technology for its first-generation smartwatch and called it 'Force Touch'. However, with some tweaks to support the larger display of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the innovation transformed into 3D Touch.
Following the deployment by the iPhone maker, some Chinese offerings attempted to bring similar experiences. Gionee's S8 and Meizu's Pro 6 entered the smartphone market last year with pressure-sensitive display panels to mimic 2015's iPhone. But none of them has so far stolen the show.
However, Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is likely to disrupt the market by leveraging the same iPhone technology. The South Korean company is expected to use its marketing skills alongside some in-house advancement to bring a successful 3D Touch implementation in the Android space.
Home button behind force touch
According to the Korea Herald, Samsung is in development to use the force touch support on the new Galaxy Note to replace the functionality of a physical home button. The new technology would also enable the smartphone to provide users with a hidden menu. Furthermore, the Korean giant is rumoured to preload a list of features that utilise the enhanced display.
The Galaxy Note 8 is speculated to have a Galaxy S8-inspired display. The flagship model already abandoned a physical button on the front and featured a touch-sensitivity key that accompanies a large screen. With the Note 8, Samsung is apparently set to take a step further. This new move would help the company provide a larger display on the new handset than what was arrived on the S8.
Samsung might deploy certain software tweaks on stock Android to exploit the pressure-sensitivity of the Galaxy Note 8. There would also be some third-party apps with the proprietary support months after the launch of the new Galaxy device. Likewise, some default settings on the smartphone are also expected to have quick actions through an enhanced tap on the screen.
Historical records
This is not the first time when Samsung is preparing to copy an Apple's development. In fact, both the companies are clobbering each other since long past. The iPhone maker has filed several lawsuits against the Android leader till date. In April 2011, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California even found some patent infringement instances in Galaxy series lineup of the Seoul-headquartered company.
Some side-by-side image comparisons of the iPhone 3GS and Galaxy S were originally presented in the court of law to highlight the alleged similarities between the two. But the evidence were later found to be doctored. Moreover, by August 2011, both the companies were entangled in more than 50 lawsuits against each other all across the globe.
Beginning of a new era
Having said that, the smartphone market is now moving towards a new era where similarities are becoming important to be the trendsetters. The new display on the Galaxy Note 8 would give Apple a way to understand what different use cases it can adapt to expand its iPhone range. Also, speculations are there for the iPhone 8 that would have an unmatched, more enhanced 3D Touch support than what available on the previous iPhone models.
We all need to wait for some more days to get a glimpse of the new progress. The new Galaxy Note is expected to be launched on August 23, whereas the iPhone family would receive a major update sometime in September. Meanwhile, you can expect some more buzzes in the atmosphere.
