Android N to Support Pressure-Sensitive Touch

The next generation of Google’s mobile operating system will reportedly support pressure-sensitive touch.

TheVerge first broke the story, saying that Google’s Android N OS will support pressure-sensitive touchscreens. There’s been no official confirmation made by Google as of yet, but several other sources are backing up this belief with evidence of their own. Phandroid, for instance, scoured through the Android N launcher code to find information on pressure-sensitive displays. So while Google has yet to confirm this feature in its upcoming mobile OS, I think it’s safe to say that Android N will support pressure-sensitive touch.

“Our developer (and others) noticed the wording in Android N’s new Launcher shortcuts feature appears to hint at support for devices with pressure sensitive displays,” wrote the folks at Phandroid.

So, how does pressure-sensitive work? It does exactly what the name suggests: allows for multiple input commands based on the pressure of the operator’s touch. Pressing down lightly with minimal force, for instance, may trigger one command, while pressing down with greater force may trigger a different command. This would essentially open the doors to a whole new world of possibilities, as the OS could be designed in a manner that supports multiple input commands from a single touch with different levels of pressure.

Of course, pressure-sensitive touch isn’t a new concept. It’s actually being used by Apple in the latest iPhone. However, we’ve yet to see the technology implemented in Google’s Android OS — but that could soon change if the reports published by TheVerge and Phandroid are correct. Google’s next-generation mobile OS, Android N, could very well support pressure-sensitive touch, allowing users to input different commands simply by adjusting the pressure of their touch.

Some smartphones that are currently on the market already support pressure-sensitive touch, such as Huawei’s Mate S Premium. Granted, the Mate S Premium is an Android device, but its pressure-sensitive touch capabilities are limited to the phone’s internal software. This means you cannot use third-party Android apps or services with it.

Android N is expected to launch sometime later this year.

What do you think of pressure-sensitive touch displays?