Haptics on iPhone are one of the best “quality of life” improvements of the last few years. It’s seamless and immediate feedback that yes, you pressed the button/flipped the switch/etc.
Second on that list is the vastly improved audio, especially the immersion and stereo feel of it.
Third is the standardization to WKWebView + content blockers.
On paper I dislike the idea of haptics but in practise, used sparingly, especially in a flashcard app I've been using lately it feels really satisfying to answer a card correctly and get that physical feedback.
The devil’s in the details with haptic feedback. It can be good, but many implementations are bad.
Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective. On iPhone, it’s...fine but not great (it’s not usually a net negative, at least).
One of the worst I’ve ever seen was on an early Verizon “iPhone killer” back around 2008. The whole phone just vibrated — it wasn’t positional at all, the motor started up too slowly so it felt mushy, and it was used far too often.
> Apple’s implementation on the Magic Trackpad, for example, is incredibly effective.
+1. I held off on a new MacBook for years, stubbornly clinging to a 2014 model on the expectation that an imitation click can't possibly be as good as a physical one. But it's been entirely seamless, and if anything, a slight improvement, with consistent (and adjustable) response across the entire surface, and the perceptible misfire rate is zero.
I look forward to the day when iOS device haptic response is that good; it's certainly not there yet. :)
On the topic of haptics, I thought 3D touch was a gimmick, but LOVED it on my iPhone 6S. Extremely useful for previewing links, moving the cursor etc, and very intuitive.
Then they scrapped it in favour of press and hold on the new iPhone, and it’s slowed me down considerably.
I love the way Nintendo does haptics in their OS and game UIs: you can feel the slightest little “snap” in your controller as you move between items in lists, as if you’re running your digital finger across keys that pop back up when you take the pressure off them.
It’s incredibly helpful for getting an intuition of how far you’ve scrolled when fast-scrolling a list, without having to watch closely to read entries as they whiz by.
I miss it when using computers! Sadly, there isn’t really anything I have my hands on when using a computer that could generate the same feedback. (Maybe they could make Bluetooth haptic wristbands?)
I suppose if someone described the interaction to me I would have thought it was gimmicky or useless in someway. I guess you need to use it and feel it a bit.
Brawl Stars is an example of a game that does haptic feedback really well. It has multiple on-screen control sticks and uses the "click" to let you know you've returned the stick to neutral.
Somewhere along the way 'haptic feedback' went from meaning 'tactile/touch-based feedback' to 'vibrations'. It seemed less limiting under the earlier definition.
It's frustrating, because with linear actuators you can provide many different textures and feelings to the user. It's a shame mobile devices aren't taking that approach and running with it.
My Nokia N9 had some pretty interesting patterns when using things like clock widgets.
