6.1-Inch LCD iPhone Will Have Stronger Glass, But No 3D Touch

Apple is expected to release three new iPhones later this year and one of them may not feature 3D Touch. An analyst believes that Apple will ditch the 3D touch feature for the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, so that the company can use a stronger display glass in making it.

Back in January, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone won’t feature Apple’s pressure-sensitive display feature called 3D Touch. In Kuo’s most recent note published by the Chinese website Feng, the analyst is once again saying that the upcoming device won’t feature 3D Touch because Apple is facing cost constraints.

For the uninitiated, 3D Touch is a feature that was introduced by Apple back in 2016 with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It allows users to press down harder on the iPhone’s display to bring up app shortcuts and other functions within apps. It has become a staple in Apple’s yearly iPhone models, including last year’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X.

Kuo says that the the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will use a “Cover Glass Sensor” (CGS) technology, which allows Apple to place the touch module on to the surface of the glass instead of on the display panel. This type of technology could also result in a display that’s lighter, but more shock-resistant, according to MacRumors.

In order to incorporate CGS technology into the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, Apple will have to add a thin-film sensor to the touch film sensor. It remains uncertain why the new layer is needed, but it will increase the cost of the touch panel by 15 percent, or somewhere between $23 and $26. Because of the higher cost of the new display glass, Kuo believes that Apple will have to forgo the 3D Touch technology for the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone to offset the increased cost and maintain the device’s cheaper price.

The 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED iPhone models in 2018 will both retain the 3D Touch feature. However, Kuo says that Apple wants to incorporate CGS technology to all of its future iPhone models starting in 2019. Although the analyst didn’t say as much, it’s possible that Apple might completely ditch the 3D Touch feature on all future iPhones beyond 2019.

The removal of 3D Touch in the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone is a curious move for Apple since the technology is already deeply engrained inside the iOS operating system. Perhaps the tech giant is planning to move on from 3D Touch in preparation for a new type of touchscreen controls in the future. It was previously reported that Apple was developing a new technology that would allow users to control an iPhone with touchless gestures.