Android may be getting its own version of 3D Touch

Android users may soon get their own version of Apple's 3D Touch. 

When Google rolled out its second preview of Android N to developers, we noted the new home screen shortcuts feature offered a nice counterpoint to Apple's 3D Touch. Now we know the feature is a lot more like 3D Touch than we thought, as Google has confirmed it will work with pressure sensitive displays. 

The new launcher shortcuts are meant to give developers the ability to add custom shortcuts from the Android home screen. You could create a shortcut from a messaging app to send a message to a particular contact, for instance, or to navigate to a specific location from a maps app. 

Android blog Phandroid teamed up with the developer of Nova Launcher to test out the new feature using gestures to activate the shortcuts. You can watch some of the features in action in Phandroid's video below. 

Though Phandroid's example relies on specific gestures -- like a swipe down -- to activate the shortcuts, the feature will also work with pressure sensitive displays, Google confirmed to Mashable. This means developers will be able to use the feature to create experiences for pressure sensitive handsets like the Huawei Mate S and ZTE Axon mini that can also work on other devices. 

Of course, Android N is still in an early preview stage so Google could make changes between now and its official release. But we're guessing we'll hear a lot more about this feature (along with other Android updates) at Google's upcoming I/O developer conference next month. 

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