Report: Force Touch capabilities to be partially baked into Android N
According to a report published today, the upcoming Android N build of Google's open source OS will include Force Touch features similar to the 3D Touch capabilities of the Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus. Android N is expected to be introduced at Google I/O. The annual developer conference will be held May 18th through May 20th at Google's own backyard in Mountain View.
Several paragraphs used to describe the Launcher shortcuts feature of Android N include clues that point to Force Touch capabilities for future Android phones. This gesture based version of Force Touch will apparently be baked into Android N, but will still require certain hardware on new Android handsets in order to run.
This means that we will have to wait until later this year for Force Touch to be more widely available to Android users. We might see the feature offered on the next Nexus handsets expected to be offered later this year. While this year's new Nexus models are nothing more than rumors at the moment, the speculation is that HTC will be the manufacturer of a pair of stock Android models code named T50 (a 5-inch unit) and T-55 (a unit with a 5.5-inch screen).
Before the HTC 10 was unveiled the other day, smartphone fans seemed indifferent to the prospect of two new HTC built Nexus models. Following the introduction of its new flagship phone, it seems that many are now excited to see what HTC will bring to its first Nexus handsets since it produced the Nexus One.
source: Phandroid
This means that we will have to wait until later this year for Force Touch to be more widely available to Android users. We might see the feature offered on the next Nexus handsets expected to be offered later this year. While this year's new Nexus models are nothing more than rumors at the moment, the speculation is that HTC will be the manufacturer of a pair of stock Android models code named T50 (a 5-inch unit) and T-55 (a unit with a 5.5-inch screen).
"Dynamic shortcuts and pinned shortcuts
An application can publish shortcuts with setDynamicShortcuts(List) and addDynamicShortcut(ShortcutInfo). There can be at most getMaxDynamicShortcutCount() number of dynamic shortcuts at a time from the same application. A dynamic shortcut can be deleted with deleteDynamicShortcut(String), and apps can also use deleteAllDynamicShortcuts() to delete all dynamic shortcuts.
The shortcuts that are currently published by the above APIs are called “dynamic”, because they can be removed by the creator application at any time. The user may “pin” dynamic shortcuts on Launcher to make “pinned” shortcuts. Pinned shortcuts cannot be removed by the creator app. An application can obtain all pinned shortcuts from itself with getPinnedShortcuts(). Applications should keep the pinned shortcut information up-to-date using updateShortcuts(List).
The number of pinned shortcuts does not affect the number of dynamic shortcuts that can be published by an application at a time. No matter how many pinned shortcuts that Launcher has for an application, the application can still always publish getMaxDynamicShortcutCount() number of dynamic shortcuts."-Written information about the Launcher shortcuts feature on Android N hints at Force Touch capabilities for more Android phones
An application can publish shortcuts with setDynamicShortcuts(List) and addDynamicShortcut(ShortcutInfo). There can be at most getMaxDynamicShortcutCount() number of dynamic shortcuts at a time from the same application. A dynamic shortcut can be deleted with deleteDynamicShortcut(String), and apps can also use deleteAllDynamicShortcuts() to delete all dynamic shortcuts.
The shortcuts that are currently published by the above APIs are called “dynamic”, because they can be removed by the creator application at any time. The user may “pin” dynamic shortcuts on Launcher to make “pinned” shortcuts. Pinned shortcuts cannot be removed by the creator app. An application can obtain all pinned shortcuts from itself with getPinnedShortcuts(). Applications should keep the pinned shortcut information up-to-date using updateShortcuts(List).
The number of pinned shortcuts does not affect the number of dynamic shortcuts that can be published by an application at a time. No matter how many pinned shortcuts that Launcher has for an application, the application can still always publish getMaxDynamicShortcutCount() number of dynamic shortcuts."-Written information about the Launcher shortcuts feature on Android N hints at Force Touch capabilities for more Android phones
source: Phandroid
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