'iPhone 6S' to push fanbois around with 'Force Touch display'

Tap that and ride the ripples

The latest crop of iPhones will reportedly come equipped with touch-sensing haptic displays that push back on your fingertips.

A report from 9to5Mac cites sources familiar with the matter saying that the force-sensing technology featured in the screen of the Apple Watch or the trackpad of the MacBook Pro. will be crammed into a device that looks a lot like the current iPhone 6 line. The phantom handset has been unofficially dubbed the 'iPhone 6S.'

The display would be able to sense the pressure with which a user is pushing down on the screen and respond accordingly.

A user could, for example, tap lightly to perform one command, and tap and hold with more force to perform another gesture. At the same time, the screen itself would provide physical feedback, such as a slight tap back from the display, to acknowledge the gesture.

The report goes on to suggest that support for the feature, and a developer API to utilize the display feature in third-party apps, will be introduced with the release of iOS 9. Apple is expected to give a sneak peek at iOS 9 for its upcoming WWDC show on June 8-12.

These are, of course, just rumors. Apple has given no official acknowledgement or a release date for either the new iPhone or iOS release and designs can always be changed prior to introduction.

Typically, the Cupertino Idiot Tax operation tends to put its new iPhones out in the late summer or early fall, with the iOS updates taking place shortly before. Apple keeps a tight lid on planned products, leaving users to speculate based on rumors or leaks from component suppliers and assemblers. ®