Apple iPhone 6s display unit appears in photos, possibly revealing changes made for Force Touch?

The Weibo page of Chinese repair firm GeekBar currently displays both sides of a display unit allegedly being produced for the next iteration of the Apple iPhone. While there aren't any cosmetic changes to speak of on the outside of the unit, inside there are a couple of new wrinkles that might have to do with the inclusion of the Force Touch feature expected on the phone.

One such change to the Apple iPhone 6s display unit is a rectangular cutout located toward the top of the screen. An unknown component appears to be protruding through the opening. There is speculation that this will be a grounding insert. Apple also appears to be moving away from using clips and screws for the metal shielding on the back of the display unit, and has turned to rivets for all four sides of the part.

Could this be related to the heavy-fingered touches to the screen expected with Force Touch? The feature allows the screen to differentiate between a regular touch-input on the display, and a heavier touch. Both inputs would be start different functions on the phone. For example, a regular tap could start a video, while a heavier touch on the screen could raise the volume. The feature is already employed by the Apple Watch. Unlike a long-press, which is determined by the amount of time the user taps the screen, Force Touch is based on how hard the screen is touched.

While suppliers are said to have just started manufacturing components needed for Force Touch, Apple is expected to unveil the Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus at a media event next month. One rumored date for the event is September 11th, with the new iPhone models launching on September 18th.

Besides Force Touch, the next-generation iPhones are expected to be made from Series 7000 aluminum to prevent bending. They should be powered by the new Apple A9 chipset and are rumored to have a 12MP camera on back, up from the 8MP rear camera on the current iPhone models.


source: GeekBar via AppleInsider