Skip to main content

Apple Stores now have pressure-sensitive tables to promote 3D Touch

Apple Store Force Touch Table
Whether you’re an Apple fan or not, you have to admire the care and attention to detail that the company puts into its high street retail stores. A case in point: The new 3D Touch-compatible display units that have recently been installed in stores in San Francisco and New York, tables which react every time you press down on the iPhones on top of them.

Specifically, it looks like the water ripples you see on the iPhone’s wallpaper also spread out across the top of the table too — a neat trick if you’re looking to convince people to spend some of their cash on a brand new Apple handset. According to an Apple Store employee who spoke to Grate App, there are indeed only two of these tables in existence at the moment.

3D Touch is one of the major new features that differentiates the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus from last year’s models: It essentially adds a pressure-sensitive layer to the phone’s screen, so the software is able to distinguish between a light touch and a harder one. So far the feature has primarily been used to bring up sub-menus and extra shortcuts, much like a right-click on a computer would.

It may seem a little bit gimmicky but Android manufacturers are keen to get in on the act as well, and in the years to come the technology may well become a standard feature of all modern-day smartphones. No doubt Apple’s flagship stores will evolve in the meantime as well — this year the company has had to reconfigure the layout of its brick-and-mortar outlets to accommodate the new Apple Watch, another product given customized display cases of its very own.

With no official word from Apple, it seems like this is a limited arrangement designed to promote the new phones, but if you’re in the San Francisco or New York areas you might want to give it a try for yourself.

Editors' Recommendations

David Nield
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
Shopping at Apple this holiday season? You should know this
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

If you splash out on an Apple product during the upcoming holiday season -- whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Mac, smartwatch, earbuds, or some other item -- then it’s important to know the terms and conditions in the event that you want to return it.

For most of the year, Apple offers a refund if you return an unwanted item within two weeks of buying it. But during the hectic holiday season when we might be away or busy with friends and family, it usually extends the period to make the returns process more convenient.

Read more
What is a 3D printer, and how much do they cost?
A Monoprice MP10 3D Printer is creating an octahedron in blue plastic.

It's been a while since 3D printers became available and started allowing people to create 3D objects in the real world right from their own home.

If you're interested in getting a rundown of what 3D printers are, how they work, how much they cost, and what you could do with them, you've come to the right place.
What is a 3D printer?
A Monoprice MP10 3D printer creates an octahedron in blue plastic. Monoprice

Read more
I’d love to buy an Apple Watch, but there’s something stopping me
The Nike Globe watch face on the Apple Watch Series 9.

Nike Globe watch face Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There's something quite wonderful about smartwatches. As an Android aficionado, I have no shortage of great smartwatches to choose from. Watches from big names like Samsung and Google are in on the act with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Google Pixel Watch 2. I can also dip into fitness brands like Fitbit, Garmin, and even Polar. Heck, there are even options from traditional watch brands like Fossil and Casio.

Read more