Watch CBS News

How Apple's new 3D Touch feature works

Apple on Wednesday unveiled 3D Touch, a new feature designed to change how you interact with your smartphone screen.

Like Force Touch before it, first introduced on the Apple Watch, 3D Touch relies on pressure as a way to interact with your device -- in this case, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Underneath the display, capacitive sensors are able to pick up changes between the cover glass and the backlight. These pressure changes are caused by a finger pressing the screen at different intensities and forms the basis of how 3D Touch works.

Instead of relying solely on traditional gestures like swiping and pinching, 3D Touch allows you to now use a light or heavy finger press to bring up certain actions like previewing content (Apple calls this a "peek") or viewing content completely (this is a "pop").

Watch the video below for a look at what 3D Touch is and how it can be used to interact with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

This article originally appeared on CNET.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.