Apple may not have the first Force Touch phone... there is another

Huawei Mate 7
Huawei Mate 7

Huawei is readying itself to release the Huawei Mate 7S at IFA 2015 and a new teaser about a feature called "Incredible Touch" has sparked rumours of an interesting new input method.

The teaser appeared on Chinese social networking site Weibo (via GForGames) and suggests you'll be able to launch the camera app by drawing a C on the screen with your knuckle.

We've seen similar technology on the Huawei P8 that allowed you to take a screenshot with just a knuckle, but some other rumours have suggested "Incredible Touch" is more than that. Some are suggesting it may be more like Apple's Force Touch technology.

Beaten to the punch?

Huawei Mate 7S

Force Touch allows you to put different pressure on parts of the screen for different functionality – the Apple Watch and new MacBook both have it, and it's believed Apple's iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will also boast the technology.

While out in Shenzen in China, visiting the Huawei HQ last week, I was not given any information directly on the Huawei Mate 7S but was handed a "teaser gift". It was explicit that it had something directly to do with the Huawei IFA 2015 press conference.

It was a Pin Art toy that you push your hand or other objects in to create a pattern on the other side, as pictured below.

Huawei Mate 7S

This further suggests Incredible Touch is something to do with pressure and that the new phone will react differently compared with what pressure you apply on the screen.

If Huawei manages to announce the technology at IFA 2015, that'll mean it beats Apple to getting the technology on a phone - no doubt a major ego boost for the Chinese firm.

It wouldn't be the first time Huawei has beaten technology to market either. Last year Huawei released the Ascend P7 with a sapphire glass display before the iPhone 6 even made it out of the gates.

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.