If you saw the new Rich Notifications feature demoed at Monday’s WWDC 2016 Keynote, and were a bit bummed because it looked like you’d need an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus to make use of it due to the 3D Touch-related features, take heart bunky, because Apple says they will be available to users of older devices too.
As noted by MacRumors, the feature is indeed relegated — and “optimized” — for the 6s and 6s Plus in this first iOS 10 beta, but full functionality will be coming to older-model iPhones in the future.
“Support for rich notifications is optimized for 3D Touch, and in iOS 10 beta 1 the feature is available only on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Future betas will provide access to this functionality for users of iPhone models without support for 3D Touch.”
Rich Notifications allows users to “pop” into apps without the need to unlock the iPhone and finding the app on their Home Screen. In the initial version, supported on the iPhone 6s/6s Plus, a 3D Touch can expand a message notification with a full keyboard to allow replying without entering the app. Users can also view a live broadcast of a sporting or other event using the Rich Notifications functions.
Apple hasn’t indicated in its iOS 10 developer notes as to how this feature will work on iPhones without 3D Touch capabilities, but perhaps it could make use of a long touch, much like the way users of older iPhones can view Live Photos on their devices.
