New iPhone SE Supports Haptic Touch, With 3D Touch Now Officially Eliminated From Apple's iPhone Lineup

The new iPhone SE, like the iPhone XR, ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, features support for Haptic Touch instead of 3D Touch, which means that ‌3D Touch‌ has officially been eliminated from Apple's ‌iPhone‌ lineup as the now-discontinued ‌iPhone‌ 8 was the last ‌iPhone‌ Apple sold that supported ‌3D Touch‌.

iphonesehaptictouch
Apple first removed ‌3D Touch‌ from the ‌iPhone‌ XR in 2018, replacing it with Haptic Touch. The feature was then rolled out to the entire 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, and now, added to the ‌iPhone SE‌.

‌Haptic Touch‌ is similar to ‌3D Touch‌ and offers a lot of the same functionality, but it is not pressure sensitive so there are no longer multiple functions for each press, such as the "Peek and Pop" gestures that were possible with ‌3D Touch‌.

‌Haptic Touch‌ is more like a long press or a press and hold with haptic feedback, and like ‌3D Touch‌, it works throughout the iOS operating system. It can be used by pressing in a relevant location until a small haptic pop is felt under the finger and a secondary menu pops up, with content varying based on where the feature is used.

For those coming to an ‌iPhone SE‌ from an older phone with ‌3D Touch‌, the transition to ‌Haptic Touch‌ will feel unfamiliar at first because it's slower than the ‌3D Touch‌ gestures, but because it ultimately works in the same way, most users should become accustomed to it quickly.

Eliminating ‌3D Touch‌ in favor of ‌Haptic Touch‌ across the ‌iPhone‌ lineup allows Apple to provide a similar interface experience for all ‌iPhone‌ and iPad models. For more on how ‌Haptic Touch‌ works and where it can be used, make sure to check out our Haptic Touch guide.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

M4 Mac mini Ortho Silver Cooler

Amazon Leaks Smaller Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, Up to 64GB of RAM, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 7:16 pm PDT by
Amazon has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini ahead of Apple's announcement this week, revealing several details. Our concept of a smaller Mac mini According to a comparison chart on Amazon's product listing for the new iMac, the new Mac mini will be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. In addition, the chart indicates ...
M4 iMac With Magic Accessories

Apple Announces iMac With M4 Chip, Upgraded Camera, Nano-Texture Display Option, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced that it has updated the 24-inch iMac with the M4 chip, which debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year. This upgrade comes around one year after the previous iMac with the M3 chip was released. Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for more videos! As expected, the M4 chip in the iMac is available with up to a 10-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU. Apple says the iMac with the ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, and More

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Promises Two More Mac Announcements This Week Following New iMac Today

Monday October 28, 2024 11:18 am PDT by
Apple introduced a new iMac today with the M4 chip and more, but that's not all, as it still has two more Mac announcements planned this week. "This is a huge week for the Mac, and this morning, we begin a series of three exciting new product announcements that will take place over the coming days," said Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, in a video announcing the new iMac....
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 8:07 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, the first major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 come six weeks after the release of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
tvOS 18 Thumb 3

Apple Releases tvOS 18.1

Monday October 28, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.1, the newest version of the tvOS 18 operating system that came out in September. tvOS 18.1 comes over a month after Apple released tvOS 18, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and the Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.1

Monday October 28, 2024 8:05 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.1, the first major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.1 comes one month after Apple released watchOS 11. watchOS 11.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.1 can be downloaded on an iPhone running iOS 18.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app...
iOS 18

iOS 18.1: What You Get If You Don't Have an iPhone With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 3:49 pm PDT by
iOS 18.1 is the first iOS 18 update with Apple Intelligence capabilities, and that's what a lot of the coverage about the new software has focused on. If you don't have an iPhone that's capable of Apple Intelligence, you're probably wondering just what's in the update for you. While Apple Intelligence does make up the bulk of what's new, if you have an older device, you still get some solid...

Top Rated Comments

jasonefmonk Avatar
59 months ago
I will always miss this feature. Keyboard text selection—and text selection in general—has certainly gone downhill on iOS since it’s removal.

There were a lot of features tied to 3D Touch that allowed me to be faster at more complex tasks. I‘m worried we’ll never get that back.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sirious Avatar
59 months ago
I really really loved 3D touch.. shame really.

Also can't believe my iPhone X has all the 3D touch hardware and sensors, yet the functionality has been forced off my phone :(
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimmy James Avatar
59 months ago
I’ll miss 3D Touch. Long press introduces a delay 3D doesn’t require.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tobefirst ⚽️ Avatar
59 months ago
Haptic touch, and the user interface that resulted from the elimination of 3D touch is a distinct downgrade from how 3D touch worked. Sad.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mizouse Avatar
59 months ago
i really love 3D touch too.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
esh314 Avatar
59 months ago
Why does it say the battery life "lasts about the same as iPhone 8"? Shouldn't the lack of 3D Touch allow for a bigger battery, like it did in the iPhone 11 Pro?

(Seems like the A13 should also improve battery life.)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)