Microsoft's answer to Apple's 3D Touch

Microsoft is rising to the challenge of 3D Touch and its response is impressive to say the least.

Most of our contacts in terms of communication with our smartphone are made through its screen. So, it is no wonder that the various manufacturers are in a constant race as to who will provide us with the newest and most advanced technology through which we can navigate our little pocket computers. As we all know, Apple introduced 3D Touch last year, which turned the rules of the game in its favour, but it seems that Microsoft's researchers didn't sit back and accept defeat.

And, it's true, they had a great idea. The interesting thing about their idea is that we don't even have to touch the screen of our smartphone. We saw this a little earlier with Samsung's Air View, but, it seems, Microsoft paid much more attention to detail. It's not just about navigating your phone without touching the screen at all. It's about doing your work more efficiently when you finally touch it.

At the heart of the technology is a self-capacitive touchscreen that recognises your fingers as they approach the screen. Earlier implementations on the field used either the camera or ultrasound, but Microsoft's version uses the screen itself. The advantage here is that multiple touch can take place over the screen (without touch at all).

It uses what Microsoft calls anticipatory techniques or predictive techniques to recognize the position and approach of our fingers in order to respond. For example, if we're watching a video, the controls will appear the moment we bring our finger close to the screen. Then we can press any key we are interested in. Usually so far, we usually tap once on the screen to bring up the video controls.

Microsoft takes it a step further by displaying the corresponding buttons depending on how you hold the device. If we hold the phone with one hand and try to operate it with the same hand, the keys will appear in a place that makes the process easy. The device will also recognize whether we hold it with the right or left hand and display the keys accordingly.

As you know, Apple's 3D Touch recognises how hard you tap the screen of your iPhone 6S or 6S Plus. In contrast, Microsoft pre-touch understands our movements and even which hand we're holding the device with in order to provide us with the right options before we touch it.

The video above shows how the Web browsing experience can be enhanced with this system. Links will only appear when one finger approaches the screen, while navigation buttons will only appear when multiple fingers approach. The screen also recognises fast touch and differentiates it from slow touch, which can be used, for example, to select text.

Microsoft - according to rumours - was working on something similar to 3D Touch for a special edition Windows Phone called McClaren. It is speculated that the final project did not come to fruition and eventually Microsoft turned to pre-touch technology integration. The video above probably depicts some prototype device for testing rather than a market-ready model.

It won't surprise us to see Microsoft use the new technology in both smartphones and Surface tablets, but we still don't know when. There's always the possibility that it won't eventually make it to market, but it seems like too good an idea to go unclaimed.

from Elichord