Apple unveiled a strikingly realistic haptic demo for Formula One racing, leaving viewers in awe.
Feeling the Thrill of F1 in Your Pocket
Ever imagined feeling the pulsating adrenaline of a Formula One race right in your hand? Apple stepped up the game with a revolutionary haptic trailer for the highly-anticipated sports drama, F1. This movie is set to hit the screens at the end of the month.
But what's a haptic trailer, you ask? Well, picture this: you're watching the F1 trailer on your iPhone, and as Sonny Hayes, portrayed by Brad Pitt, speeds down a straightaway on the screen, your phone starts vibrating like a racing engine. The haptic pulsations increase to mimic the engine's power and speed, immersing you in the action.
Apple claims that each haptic sequence in the trailer is timed to the movie's rhythm, promising a captivating and innovative user experience.
You can catch the F1 haptic trailer on the Apple TV app or in the App Store. All you need is an iPhone running iOS 18.4 or later. There's nothing additional to download or activate.
Top Picks for Your Streaming Night
F1 follows the tale of Sonny Hayes, a once-promising driver whose career took a tragic turn in the '90s. Dubbed "the greatest that never was" due to his immense potential, Sonny, now past his prime, is still seen behind the wheel but his F1 dreams have faded away.
Sonny's ex-teammate, Ruben Cervantes, portrayed by Javier Bardem, extends an irresistible offer for Sonny to come out of retirement and join Apex Grand Prix (APXGP), needing a seasoned pro to partner with his promising rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Despite his lack of interest in mentoring, Sonny equals the deal and sets off for one final shot at redemption. Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia also star in this action-packed movie.
Joseph Kosinski, the director of Top Gun: Maverick, takes the helm of F1, with Ehren Kruger providing the screenplay, based on a story co-written by the two.
Mark your calendars – F1 zooms into theaters and IMAX on June 27.
Enrichment Data
A haptic trailer merges synchronized haptic feedback, such as physical vibrations and sensations, with standard audio-visual content, offering viewers an immersive experience. In the context of F1, the haptic trailer uses the Taptic Engine in an iPhone to deliver vibrations synced with essential moments of the trailer, such as roaring engines or on-screen collisions, providing a unique physical sensation to accompany the visual and audio content[2][4][5].
The F1 trailer is pioneering in integrating haptic feedback into video content, providing an innovative marketing approach and serving as an essential accessibility feature for users with hearing impairments[4][5]. The haptic experience is made possible by using the Apple TV app on an iPhone with iOS 18.4 or later, with the device leveraging .ahap (Apple Haptic and Audio Pattern) files and HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) protocol to deliver synchronized haptic effects[1]. If a device does not support haptics, it will simply play the trailer without the extra sensory feedback.
In the thrilling world of sports, the pulsating adrenaline of Formula One (F1) now extends beyond the race track, as the new F1 movie incorporates haptic technology, allowing viewers to feel the power of roaring engines and on-screen collisions on their iPhones. This innovative approach, a first in video content, provides an immersive experience that sets a new standard for movie-watching, offering a unique physical sensation to complement the visual and audio content.
