Apple to Remove Home Button From Future iPads and iPhones?

[tigress666]

I could see getting rid of the physical button if they went to a backlit touch sensitive area somewhere on the bezel.

I don't understand why people like this idea. You have to hold the device so doing this would either have you making a lot of accidental gestures which would make the device way too frustrating to use, or having to hold it very gingerly to avoid touching any place that could read a gesture, also very annoying to use.

Sure, it sounds neat, but in practice it would just make the device really annoying once you got over the "neat" factor.

 

[Management]

HAHAHA .... I called it early this morning after seeing that gesture video.

Link: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/11717597/

I still want the home button on the iPhone though. Would be weird using with one hand.

 

[Trius]

My predictions of the future of iPhone...

Guys, remember there were rumors about Apple utilizing touch-capacitive back on the iPhone?

I think that's exactly what's gonna happen on future iPhones: no home button, swipe down to reveal multitasking bar, swipe left/right to switch apps, double-tap to go back to home screen, etc.

This ^^

They could just make the whole screen a button - like the new Macbook trackpad.

or This ^^

mark my words...

 

[Management]

How will you use your phone with one hand if 4 or 5 finger gestures are needed. Home button is here to stay.

Just figure out how to hold it better.

 

[Management]

This ^^



or This ^^

mark my words...

I really like this idea on the whole screen a button. I wonder how this would affect build quality.

 

[Tunster]

Not seen this suggestion but why can't they have the home button as the on/off button (and then locate it down the side of the iphone)? It's discreet and we could gain some extra screen space.

That's viable for both!

 

[URFloorMatt]

How about this: Squeeze to click? Turn the whole "death grip" thing on its head. And since your home button finger is on the same hand as the hand likely holding your iPhone, I think this would be about as intuitive as it currently is.

Let's assume the new Verizon iPhone has the same dimensions/shape as the next iPhone. It's sort of like the top antenna portion and the bottom antenna portions are clickable/functional.

 

[Bigcase]

But what if removing the home button on the iphone, creates more screen real estate that they use, increasing the screen size about 1 inch? I'd go for it, of course it would take some adj...

 

[Trius]

How about this: Squeeze to click? Turn the whole "death grip" thing on its head. And since your home button finger is on the same hand as the hand likely holding your iPhone, I think this would be about as intuitive as it currently is.

Let's assume the new Verizon iPhone has the same dimensions/shape as the next iPhone. It's sort of like the top antenna portion and the bottom antenna portions are clickable/functional.

All I can think of with this, is people getting frustrated when the UI freezes and squeezing the crap out of their phone.... or maybe it would just be me...

 

[z4n3]

That's how it's currently done.

With that in mind, I wonder how they're gonna go to DFU mode (not for jailbreakers, but for times when the OS really didn't install correctly).

Two finger pinch while holding down the power button of-course

 

[steve2112]

Ah, yes Steve Jobs' perfect device: no buttons. I love the physical back button on my Android phone. No buttons would drive me crazy.

I'm just waiting on the four finger + tongue swipe. "Now it only takes one lick to get to the center of your iPhone!"

 

[firewood]

This would be a really bad idea for at least a half dozen reasons:

ADA lawsuits from people who are missing a couple fingers.

Difficulties using an iDevice with a capacitive stylus.

Breaks all multi-voice music apps that can play chords (all pianos, etc.). Same with DJ and audio control decks.

Breaks multiplayer games (four player swiping, or two players trying to pinch, etc.)

Breaks games using swipe gestures already (slicing fruit, etc.)

One handed operation no longer possible (calling with one hand while carrying luggage/shopping items in the other, etc.)

If configurable, severe modality in the UI, confusing users about when a gesture will work versus a broken app or crashed OS.

This idea would give away the music app business to Android and WM7, as well as make the iPhone a much less usable cell phone. What were they thinking?!

 

[d Fusion b]

I for one love the idea, and hope they do this for both devices. Most of all the iPad though, it can benefit from it more I feel from it's larger screen.

 

[617arg]

so many negative comments about this. Can't the button on top serve the same function as far as powering up the screen is concerned. It can probably be programmed to initiate voice control too......

I don't know......I think it could be neat.

 

[Bigcase]

I think it will use a bewitched feature, with face recongnition! Basically it will consist of two motions, because just blinking your eyes could be annoying, and the device turning on and off when you blink could cause issues. But the blinking of the eyes and the twitching of the nose, ahh now we have a winner! And if you sneeze, just keep your eyes open!

 

[firewood]

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.

If the OS is crashed, broken install, etc. the graphics lib, display driver and digitizer driver may be MIA/crashed as well.

 

[Clive Barnes]

Remove the Friggin Button! !!

Apple should have never placed a button on the front of these devices to begin with. It totally defeats the object of a touch screen user interface device.

Buttons on the side yer is great or even a pin hole reset switch. Buttons are a thing of the past. They make things bigger then they need to be.

Slim is in, Buttons are out!

 

[Shellbo6901]

yea, a home button on the side would work well.

 

[EnigMoiD]

iPad? Acceptable. The touch gestures look absolutely fantastic, and the home button being in all different places doesn't really make sense.

iPhone? No. The device is small enough; the home button is good for lots of other things.

 

[Blacklabel34]

Count me out....The natural way you hold an iPhone would make it difficult (more like near impossible) to return to the home screen without using a second hand. So instead of being able to navigate through the phone one handed Apple wants us to use two hands? Is it just me or does that not make any sense?
I sure hope they don't get rid of the home button. Apple, just give us the option for multi touch gestures and let us keep our beloved home button. I ask everyone with an iPhone to attempt a multi touch gesture using the same hand that's holding it (I'm referring to more then 2 fingers). Apple, I think the option is nice just don't back us into a corner.
ps I know Apple is trying to slim their devices down (from the bezel to the width) Getting rid of the home button would allow an even thinner bezel but come on Apple there's got to be another way. YOUR APPLE you can DO ANYTHING. Please don't do away with the home button. Please.

 

[firewood]

yea, a home button on the side would work well.

Perfect. Hold the device tightly so as not to drop it while walking and randomly switch out of the apps you want to use.

 

[Pojo458]

I could see this happening but it would need to be tested it, it could be a solution to continue shrinking the size of the iphone/ipad.

overall, I wouldn't mine

 

[paradox00]

You don't need to remove the home button to save space, has anyone looked at the iPad bezel lately? Both the bezel and button can be shrunk for more screen space without out removing the button. If they were to remove the home button it would be for some other reason.

Speculation should at least make logical sense.

Apple released some multi-touch gestures, so shouldn't the speculation be that the home button is going to be removed in future models because it has been rendered obsolete by these gestures? For the record I don't believe that to be the case right now.

 

[DudeDad]

Five-finger pinch? That would be incredibly awkward, considering the thumb is much shorter than the rest of the fingers.

1. Place finger tips of one hand on your desk top.
2. Squeeze the fingertips together

See? Not so hard....

 

[academyspatula]

I actually like the idea of removing the home button because I've had nothing but problems with it. For the past couple of weeks, I've been having to push the home button harder and harder and in different parts of the button in order to get it to work. I've seen many other complaints online about the home button as well. It's time that Apple removes that damn thing!