Got a tip for us?Let us know

a. Send us an email
b. Anonymous form

Apple and Immersion Reach Licensing Agreement After Legal Battle Over 3D Touch and Taptic Engine

Monday January 29, 2018 4:54 AM PST by Joe Rossignol

Immersion, a company that develops and licenses haptic feedback technologies, today announced it has reached a settlement and licensing agreement with Apple. The terms of the deal are confidential.

Immersion describes itself as the leading innovator of haptic feedback systems, with more than 2,600 issued or pending patents. The company, headquartered in San Jose, California, says its technology has been adopted in more than three billion consumer electronic devices across several industries.

Immersion had filed a pair of lawsuits against Apple in early 2016, accusing the company of infringing on its patents with its haptic feedback technologies such as 3D Touch and the Taptic Engine on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and Force Touch on the first-generation Apple Watch and various MacBook trackpads.

Tags: 3D Touch, Force Touch, Immersion, Taptic Engine

Top Rated Comments

sw1tcher

105 months ago

Where are all the people who thought Immersion were patent trolls and/or had no case?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/haptic-feedback-company-immersion-files-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-apple.1955890/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/immersion-files-second-haptic-feedback-lawsuit-against-apple.1971289/

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

maflynn

105 months ago

Looks like Immersion hit the jackpot :eek:

I also wonder if apple will stop or diminish its use of Force touch now

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Gashole

105 months ago

Haha! You're probably right. I just find it backwards that they push for 3D Touch since its inception, include it in every phone since the 6s, and then pull it from the mainstream iPhone version. From a developer perspective, they're limiting their user base and there is less incentive to develop for 3D Touch.

Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...

• 148 comments

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol

Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover

In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...

• 154 comments

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol

While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

• 37 comments

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by Hartley Charlton

The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

• 107 comments