New iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Models Ditch 3D Touch in Favor of Haptic Touch

When introducing the new iPhone 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro models on stage this morning during the "By Innovation Only" keynote, Apple execs mentioned "Haptic Touch" as one of the new features on the devices.

‌Haptic Touch‌ is also listed as one of the features on the technical specifications page for each device, which means the rumors were true - Apple has officially nixed 3D Touch in its newest iPhones.

newiphonesno3dtouch
Last year, the ‌iPhone‌ XR was introduced with a ‌Haptic Touch‌ feature that replaces ‌3D Touch‌, which has now expanded to the entire ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

‌Haptic Touch‌ does many of the same things that ‌3D Touch‌ does so new ‌iPhone‌ users will not be missing out on much functionality, but it's not quite the same as the ‌3D Touch‌ feature.

iphone11specs
Rather than a pressure sensitive pop, ‌Haptic Touch‌ is a long press that's similar to the long press on other devices like the iPad but paired with haptic feedback so you get a little electric response when you press.

‌3D Touch‌ had multiple levels of responsiveness due to the pressure sensitivity, which is not available with ‌Haptic Touch‌. This allowed for "peek" and "pop" gestures that did different things depending on the force of the touch.

Apple first introduced ‌3D Touch‌ in the ‌iPhone‌ 6s and the ‌iPhone‌ 6s Plus, and it was used in the ‌iPhone‌ 7, ‌iPhone‌ 8, ‌iPhone‌ X and ‌iPhone‌ XS models before being discontinued.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
airpods color prototypes

Apple Tested AirPods in Bright Colors

Saturday December 27, 2025 6:06 am PST by
Apple reportedly tested a version of the first-generation AirPods with bright, iPhone 5c-like colored charging cases. The images, shared by the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami," claim to show first-generation AirPods prototypes with pink and yellow exterior casings. The interior of the charging case and the earbuds themselves remain white. They seem close to some...

Top Rated Comments

840quadra Avatar
82 months ago
Sad day. Loss of the the truly unique input method only Apple had, yet famously didn't properly support or educate customers how to use.

Used to be able to 3D Touch and instantly get contextual menus, and do other functions in the system. Now we have long press which (as the name states) takes longer, now rebranded as something new.
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
82 months ago
For a "Pro" phone, it seems like such a step backwards to ditch 3D Touch hardware for a longer, time-consuming, inferior option
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C DM Avatar
82 months ago
It's too bad Haptic Touch is not as good as 3D Touch.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
82 months ago
I've been using iOS 13 for awhile and have found basically zero instances where the "peek" and "pop" features even still exist.



it wasn't "essentially" a long press at all. it was a pressure sensitive press.
Yep can't peek at URL in messages anymore, nor can you 3D Press and slide up to bring an image to full screen and save it.

They really took away some of the deep functions in iOS. Dare I say, "Pro" features.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WilliamG Avatar
82 months ago
In other words; Haptic Touch is all software based, 3D Touch was hardware. Makes sense they would do this as the pressure sensitivity never offered any tangible benefits.
I use it all the time for selecting text.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hlfway2anywhere Avatar
82 months ago
I've been using iOS 13 for awhile and have found basically zero instances where the "peek" and "pop" features even still exist.

3D touch was a gimmick - a feature that Apple touted as something unique but when you undress it, it was essentially a long-press.
it wasn't "essentially" a long press at all. it was a pressure sensitive press.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)