WhatsApp becomes the latest app to support Apple’s 3D Touch technology on current-gen iPhones. The Facebook-owned popular IM app is now offering seamless functionality with ‘Peek’ and ‘Pop’ feature supported by 3D Touch technology.
Hence, if you’ve received a picture on WhatsApp, you can press hard on the app’s icon to peek at the image. And in case you wish to reply to the sender, hard pressing on the icon pops open the full app. This also works for videos, links, contact cards and locations as well.
Peek essentially allows users to see previews of websites, photos, videos, contacts and more, doing away the need to open up another app simultaneously. Users now have the ability to jump in and out of information using the functionality. While the ‘Pop’ function allows users to zoom-in to provide a better view of the in-app features. With new features being rolled out to WhatsApp on a regular basis, the messaging platform’s rising popularity should not come as a surprise.
Beyond this major update, WhatsApp interface is now mirrored and optimized for right-to-left languages like Arabic. A complete list of languages supported in this release includes English, Arabic, Bokmål, Norwegian, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
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- 4.7-inch Retina HD display. 5G capable
- Advanced single-camera system with 12MP Wide camera; Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, and 4K video up to 60 fps
- 7MP FaceTime HD camera with Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, and 1080p video recording. Home button with Touch ID for secure authentication
- A15 Bionic chip for lightning-fast performance. Durable design and IP67 water resistance
- Up to 15 hours of video playback
Users can now upgrade to WhatsApp v2.12.9, which is now available on the App Store.
Notably, WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook also updated its app with 3D Touch compatibility. With the addition of 3D Touch, three quick actions will be available to iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users when they press the app icon. Implying that by simply pressing the app icon, users can write a post, upload a photo or video, or take a photo or video.
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- 4.7-inch Retina HD display. 5G capable
- Advanced single-camera system with 12MP Wide camera; Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, and 4K video up to 60 fps
- 7MP FaceTime HD camera with Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode, and 1080p video recording. Home button with Touch ID for secure authentication
- Up to 15 hours of video playback
- ManufacturerApple Computer
Other third-party apps leveraging 3D Touch are Dropbox, Pinterest, WeChat, and Shazam.
3D Touch technology is apparently the biggest distinguishing factor between last year’s iPhones compared to current-gen iPhones. It adds a whole new dimension to the way users interact with iOS, as it can detect the amount of pressure one puts on the screen and which then invokes responses accordingly. In the coming future, more and more apps will be compatible with this technology as Apple is giving third-party developers access to this feature to make use of in their apps.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
- Successfully passed a full diagnostic test which ensures like-new functionality and removal of any prior-user personal information.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charging cable.
- Inspected and guaranteed to have minimal cosmetic damage, which is not noticeable when the device is held at arm's length.
More and more companies are now planning to incorporate this Force Touch pressure sensitive technology on their smartphones. Samsung is reportedly planning to ‘mimic the feature’ on its upcoming Galaxy S7 smartphone expected to be announced in early January. The company has reportedly joined hands with Synaptics to use its ‘ClearForce’ technology, which essentially functions in the same way as Apple’s 3D Touch. It allows users to perform functions like variable speed scrolling, image panning and zooming, unlocking and waking up the device, right click mouse behavior for context menus and more.
Quick Recap
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- 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak), 2532x1170px at 460ppi, 4005mAh Battery
- 8GB RAM, Apple A18 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency cores), Apple GPU 4-core, 16‑core Neural Engine
- Rear camera: 48MP, f/1.6, wide, Front Camera: 12MP, f/1.9, wide, iOS 18.3.1, upgradable to iOS 18.5
- Connectivity: Global 4G LTE, Sub-6 GHz 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C, Wireless Charging (7.5W). (does not have mmWave 5G or MagSafe or physical SIM card) - Dual eSIM Only
- Unlocked for freedom to choose your carrier. Compatible with both GSM & CDMA networks. The phone is unlocked to work with all GSM Carriers & CDMA Carriers Including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Straight Talk., Etc.
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- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
- Successfully passed a full diagnostic test which ensures like-new functionality and removal of any prior-user personal information.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Inspected and guaranteed to have minimal cosmetic damage, which is not noticeable when the device is held at arm's length.
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