In 2015, Apple introduced the iPhone 6s with 3D Touch, a pressure-sensitive display that could detect up to three levels of pressure. This allows users to access specific app features directly from the home screen, for example, with a harder press triggering a list of shortcuts for the app. Developers can also leverage the feature inside apps themselves, as a way to access specific features more easily.
While many design decisions made by Apple are eventually replicated in the Android space, this hasn't happened with 3D Touch, at least until now. According to documentation discovered by 9to5Google, there's now a new classification for touches on the screen, which Google refers to as "deep presses".
Just like 3D Touch, the idea is that the device can detect when the user is intentionally pressing harder on the screen. Rather than providing all-new functionality, the description in the documentation suggests that deep presses will simply help users activate long-press actions more quickly, though it's up for debate just how much time could be saved by doing this.
Google released a new beta build of Android Q to testers earlier this week, and the feature isn't present there yet. Aside from that, no device on the market would have the hardware to support it right now. There have been no previous indications so far that companies are considering such a feature for their smartphones, but it's possible that Google is planning to be one of the first to add it.
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