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anthonymoody

macrumors 68040
Aug 8, 2002
3,050
1,139
When Apple moves away from the physical home button an awful lot of crow is going to be served! I for one can't wait.
 

terraphantm

macrumors 68040
Jun 27, 2009
3,814
661
Pennsylvania
I think it will be some time. TouchID is a big selling point for the iPhone right now and it works great. To just ditch it as they tie it to Apple Pay wouldn't make sense.

They can make it smaller though. TouchID doesn't occupy the full circle, it's more a square sensor. I don't see why Apple can't make the button a rounded square much like the icons. That would let them make the button and bezels physically smaller
 

Retired Cat

macrumors 65816
Jun 12, 2013
1,210
380
I just can't imagine it without it. I also can't really fathom having a softkey that provides the same functionality. Softkeys just take up valuable screen real estate. I hated it on all the Androids I owned that had it. Playing games when my finger would slide over and hit the home button, or texting somebody and hitting the home key instead of the space bar. Such an annoyance.


I've heard similar complaints from friends and relatives who own mobile phones with touch buttons.

The problem is that today's touch buttons are not good at distinguishing a press from accidental contact. The physical home button, in contrast, needs a specific amount of force to trigger a click.

Apple may already have the solution to this implemented in the Apple Watch: a pressure sensing touch screen. The Watch display can differentiate between varying levels of force applied to the surface. A future iPhone could use a similar setup to detect valid presses and filter out accidental contact from drifting fingers. I believe that this tech, combined with TouchID integrated into the display assembly, will be what is needed to replace the home button entirely.
 

imnjs

macrumors member
Sep 27, 2014
78
1
Dallas, TX
You can't fathom a phone without a big, round old-tech mechanical button on the front? It's a.....button, and I really don't see the big deal about it. Aside from the fact that mechanical buttons have a finite longevity, they take up space. The bezels need to be severely trimmed on the next gen iPhones and this old fashioned button is what's holding things back. I'll repeat, it's a.......button. That's all it is. You say that it's 'iconic' but for how many years do you propose that Apple keep it? Until the iPhone is so old fashioned looking that people have stopped using them?


To clarify, I said that I can't fathom a softkey that can perform the same functions as the current hardware key. Something about double tapping or holding down a softkey just doesn't feel right. If anything, make it smaller and rectangular in efforts to decrease bezel size.
 

dojoman

macrumors 68000
Apr 8, 2010
1,934
1,089
Lol, you mean soft buttons as in on screen capacitive buttons as in what the entire iPhone screen is already? Wow.

No! Home screen on Android is part of the body, not the touchscreen. It was terrible idea and takes up ugly screen space on bottom might as well have a home button.

----------

No reason why Touch ID couldn't be relocated to behind the screen in the future when the tech improves a bit - Apple has a patent for it. Would then even allow for fingerprint locked specific apps.

Image

Article Link

Easier said then done. It's not that easy to make the whole screen a giant fingerprint reader without sacrificing the lcd thickness. Yes, Apple has a patent but it doesn't mean they have the technology. Remember that Apple has to buy another company in order to implement Touch ID.
 

whirldy

macrumors 6502
Dec 20, 2011
378
217
Within
Just a thought...Ryan Petrich, of jailbreak fame, has a tweak that simulates the home button. We are looking forward to the iOS 8 jailbreak
 

jamesrick80

macrumors 68030
Sep 12, 2014
2,659
2,216
Touch ID is a killer. Bezels give a sense of symmetry. Love bezels, be it left right or top bottom. No bezels is like hanging a photo on a wall without a frame.

Lol only Apple fans would say something like this....the delusions on this board are amazing...no one actually likes large bezels....:rolleyes:
 

glhughes

macrumors regular
Jul 4, 2009
126
33
ITT: People that do not understand how any of the technologies in their phones actually work, nor comprehend packaging concerns.
 

deviant

macrumors 65816
Oct 27, 2007
1,187
275
Lol only Apple fans would say something like this....the delusions on this board are amazing...no one actually likes large bezels....:rolleyes:

It's amazing how you decide for everybody! There are people who love more iPad 4 design than iPad Air design. Anyway, I didn't say I love LARGE bezels. I love symmetry, and not something like nexus 5 top and bottom different bezels. and who's delusional? Must be you, having delusions about how people love only what YOU love.
 

myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,646
Seattle, WA
My biggest gripe with the home button is that it's mechanical, while Windows Phone, despite not having a virtual button, has a touch-sensitive one instead. It's one of the most used buttons besides the power button, and at one point on my 4S failed for several months before deciding to work again.

Since TouchID, it's obvious that it can recognize taps, and not just clicks, so Apple should at least offer an option to tap to return to the home screen.
 

Surf Monkey

macrumors 603
Oct 3, 2010
5,321
3,758
Portland, OR
Another vote to remove the ridiculously outdated home button. Iconic or not, it's a waste of space

They should get rid of steering wheels on cars too. Rediculous outdated relics of the past that just take up space. Driving your car with a joystick would make a lot more sense.
 

myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,646
Seattle, WA
They should get rid of steering wheels on cars too. Rediculous outdated relics of the past that just take up space. Driving your car with a joystick would make a lot more sense.
Wish they would.
09dfcf024461f33244024010c795b222.jpg

(Mercedes-Benz F200 concept)
 

aPple nErd

macrumors 68030
Feb 12, 2012
2,728
694
Jailbreaks/IOS Hacks
If Apple get rid of the home button I'd go android. The home button is one of my favorite things about iOS devices. I much prefer a hardware button and if I can't have one on an iPhone why should I stay with Apple products?
 

youradhere4222

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2007
323
78
It would save so much space but will never happen. iPhone circle button is iconic.
Apple's 3.5" "common sense" screen that could be reached with one hand used to be iconic. Then Android started experimenting and look at where Apple products are now.

It's a cycle. Manufacturers like OnePlus, Samsung and HTC are making phones that are more compact but still offer the same sized displays by minimizing bezels. Apple will eventually hop onboard that train, definitely by making the home button smaller and more subtle or by removing it altogether. Apple created a patent in 2013 to integrate the fingerprint scanner into the screen... things are headed that way whether you like it or not.

I love the 6 Plus but it's frustrating considering how much space is wasted on the display, i.e. the area to the left and right of the home button, and the white space around the earpiece. 5.5" is a great screen size... let's offer that in a smaller package.
 

dojoman

macrumors 68000
Apr 8, 2010
1,934
1,089
They should get rid of steering wheels on cars too. Rediculous outdated relics of the past that just take up space. Driving your car with a joystick would make a lot more sense.

You must have never driven a car in your life. Driving with a steering wheel is a lot more intuitive than a joystick.
 
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