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It would allow for a larger iPhone screen, without the need for a larger form factor. Thus, all existing cases would still be usable.

Just a thought...
 
Sorry. I know a lot of people here are saying "good" for the iPad but a "no go" for the iPhone, but I'm saying "no good" for either. What about those physically handicapped? The whole gesture thing is great, but this might be getting out of hand. What's next, a two-finger swipe + 3 finger pinch + a shake to get the iPad wake up from sleep? I can't keep up with all these gestures every time a new one comes along. You know what I can remember? a HOME button. Why not bring on the new gesture but KEEP the home button?
 
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No way. That button does too much… single click, double click, return to home from anywhere, hold or voice command, etc. Adding all those as gestures really steepens the leaning curve.
 
1. Home button going?

a. Possibly not as it is a great discovery tool + an obvious reference point.
Check Gruber's post.
b. Possibly is trying to reduct the architecture on the iPhone and the iPad.
This increases scope for external ports + a concept of no physical buttons.

2. iPad? Yes! iPhone? NO

a. Not going to happen.
b. iPad will align with the iPhone interms of usage.
c. I bet these gestures will come for the iPhone as well.
d. If the button is going away on the iPad, it's going away on the iPhone.
e. It makes more sense to eleminate this on the iPad but I doubt apple will change the basic method of switching apps, etc.

That's just my 2 cents.
 
What about people who might have lost a digit or two? No iPad for you! :p

Not Apple's target audience.

77511.jpg
 
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" big part of why normal people are able to pick them up, start playing with them"

Just what did he mean my "normal" people?? Is he implying that ipad and iPhone users are "Abby Normal"?
 
No. Don't do it.

What is wrong with having ONE button? Jeez. It's easier to tap one button than to make a four or five finger gesture.

I make a one-finger gesture to this idea.
 
They're also going to remove the physical speakers, cameras and sensors from the phone as well so they'll all be onscreen only. Can't wait...

D.
 
Definitely on the iPad, not on the iPhone. Can you imagine doing a 5-finger gesture to get to the home screen on the iPhone?! I cannot see this happening at all.
 
No thanks on the removal of the button. Move it to the side maybe and encourage the use of the 5 finger method.

For resets, they'll probably put a pinhole reset type thing on it.
 
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This isn't going to happen anytime in the near future. BGR's sources are the voices in their head.

We may see a departure from dependancy on the home button, but it's not going away. Try using these gestures with VoiceOver turned on. Still need a home button for that.
 
The War Against Buttons & Ports Continues

Never mind the design of the human hand, usability, and flexibility.

The vision at Apple is the iSmooth....a perfectly flat 2D piece of smooth plastic.

Buy stock futures in companies that do Carpal research....
 
Im just going to be stupid here - but whats the chances of the button being moved to the back of the iPad, so its like the on off switch on the back of the iMac.
 
For one thing, this indicates that Apple is feeling much more secure about their software.

People used to complain about having to reset WinMo phones. Yet, especially at the beginning, Apple knew their code wasn't perfect either.

So Apple came up with what I think is the most brilliant design innovation ever: put the "reset" button front and center, and make the user click it all the time! It was an example of hiding something in plain sight.

By using a physical button, Apple's engineers were assured of the ability for a user to easily get out of a stuck software loop without having to poke into a tiny hole or take the cover off. It was insanely clever IMO.

As for needing two buttons, no they could do like other devices and let a long press on the physical power button bring up a menu of what you want to do: reset, dfu, power off, etc.
 
Apple killed the click wheel at a time when many people thought it was the defining characteristic of the iPod, and now nobody misses it.

If Apple gets rid of the iPhone/iPad home button, it will be because they found an easy, intuitive way to perform the same functions without it.
 
I for one would really like this change having had the home button break on my iphone before. Even when the screen was smashed, the screen worked perfectly fine, but after a few months the home button gave out.
 
This would be a great idea on iPad.

Not so much on iPhone unless they plan on making the screen bigger (which I hope they don't do).
 
The home button does quite a bit which would be harder to replicate with five fingers. Also I like the home button, and in the early days of using and iOS device it a really handy panic button that just gets you back to the home screen. It also gives you a visual clue about which way you are supposed to hold it, and makes the device recognisable in the same way that the click wheel made the iPod instantly recognisable.
 
When I'm using my phone I want to be able to get to the home screen FAST - i.e. with ONE hand -- home button is gold.
 
just a thought, but the iPhone / iPod Touch sans home button and with a moved speaker gives the ability for a screen much closer to a 16:9 ratio. could be useful, but I appreciate that it's probably more relevant to the iPad, where the current form factor doesn't give the same ratio.

I'm for losing it on the iPad, but not the phone.
 
Well, the source says they are "testing". Undoubtedly, Apple tests all kinds of prototypes. That doesn't mean they see the light of day. For the reasons stated, it doesn't make much sense, at least on the iPhone.
 
What happens when an app freezes or the screen doesn't respond to touch input? Using the Home button could quickly exit a troublesome app. :confused:
 
No.

Well, the home button probably won't always exist exactly as it is now. But it's not being replaced with blind gestures.

This sounds like a manufactured rumor based on the specious speculation that just because Apple has added alternate ways to get to access home button functions that they will remove it.

What's BRG's track record anyway?
 
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