We’ve been hearing rumors for a long time regarding Nokia’s and now Microsoft’s 3D Touch technology, supposedly slated to make a smartphone debut later this year, as part of the Lumia McLaren device. And now we get to see a bit of it in action.
This video comes from Microsoft Research who’ve been working on the intriguing project. As you can see, they’re using a Windows Phone and manipulating the OS by hovering above the screen. This is exactly what we’ve heard about the rumored 3D Touch feature.
The technology is very precise and responsive, and allows for different use cases. This includes swiping and hovering above the screen to issue commands, manipulating images and objects on screen, and using it as a sensing technology for the environment around the phone. All of these have been rumoured to be part of an upcoming update for Windows Phone.
3D Touch is supposed to come embedded in a new Lumia McLaren device, due out ahead of the holiday season. And while this video obviously presents the technology at the research stage, it’s not hard to imagine what this will look like in a finished product.