A resistive force sensor may be configured with two exposed pads, each exposed pad electrically connected to a terminal. When a force is applied to a force applicator, a conductive pad moves into contact with the exposed pads, thus completing an electrical circuit and providing a precise measurement of the point in time when a user has supplied sufficient force to switch the apparatus from one mode of operation to another. In another implementation, two resistive sensors may be disposed above and below portions of a conductive pad with an elastic member disposed between the two resistive sensors. When a force is applied to the force applicator of the apparatus, a differential resistance may be calculated between the two resistive sensors. Since resistive sensors may experience thermal drift due to changes in environmental temperature conditions, the differential resistance between the two resistive sensors allows a temperature-independent measurement of force.