The next iPhone may have Force Touch and a new color option

Rumors that Apple intends to incorporate Force Touch technology into its next iPhone were given further credence yesterday by a report from the Wall Street Journal. The report claims that Apple will be implementing the technology, which can distinguish between different levels of pressure applied to the screen, into the next iPhone and may also be working on a new color for the smartphone’s aluminum casing, which currently only has three color options. 

Apple Inc. plans to add sensors to detect how hard a user is pressing on a screen to its next iPhones, incorporating a technology used in its forthcoming MacBook and Apple Watch, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple’s Force Touch technology can distinguish between a light tap and deep press, allowing users to control a device differently depending on how hard they push on a surface. The touch technology is one of the changes that Apple plans for the next versions of its iPhones due for release later this year, these people said. Apple isn’t changing the size of the displays in the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones and plans to keep the resolution similar, but it may add another color for the aluminum casing of the iPhone, these people said. Currently, Apple offers the iPhone in three colors: silver, gold and space gray. It is testing a new pink option to the lineup, these people said. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.