Future iPhones: Home Button pros/cons

[Retired Cat]

Should Apple keep the mechanical Home Button? I'm not sure.

In favor if the mechanical Home Button:
(1) Gives the user feedback and makes a satisfying "click". You know when you pressed it.
(2) Unlikely to activate by accident because it needs force to press.

Against the mechanical Home Button:
(1) Takes up space that could be used for a larger display. The lower bezel on iPhone is relatively big for a top-end smartphone.
(2) Mechanical buttons wear down and are more likely to break than buttons with no moving parts.

Anyone have additional ideas?

I am sure this is controversial because the mechanical Home Button has been a central feature of iPhone since the original iPhone.

 

[goobot]

Not having any physical buttons only causes issues, when software freezes or something along those lines you need hardware to be able to fix the issue. Also the lower bezel can be reduced quite and bit and still fit the home button.

 

[The Doctor11]

I WANT A REAL BUTTON. Now that that's said I will continue. I do not want a button that's just going to have me hitting it on accident. I'm sure that's a lot easier to hit in a pocket or something but even when your using your phone you can just tap it. And right now when I'm waiting or things I load or I'm reading things my finger will be on the home button just circling around the edge.

 

[lordofthereef]

Not having any physical buttons only causes issues, when software freezes or something along those lines you need hardware to be able to fix the issue. Also the lower bezel can be reduced quite and bit and still fit the home button.

We do still have volume buttons that are used for nothing outside of volume control (at least that I am aware of). It would require Apple making either volume up or down the "new home button" for things like entering DFU. Certainly doable. I believe that is how windows phones handle that issue. Or maybe it was the hard camera button (something that I would also welcome on iPhones). Either way, just a slightly different way of thinking.

That said, with the new addition of touch ID, I don't expect Apple to get rid of the home button any time soon. I do rather like touch ID, but I am also a proponent of getting rid of all front buttons... so I am rather torn on this issue.

 

[emir]

Plus, getting rid of the home button and shrinking the bezel down would make you lose valuable battery space on the inside. That would mean even less battery life. So, even though the idea is cool and would look great, I don't think it's feasible. Not just because of the loss of battery area but because of Touch ID, DFU mode and physical feeling of a button etc. as people above has mentioned.

 

[eelw]

plus, getting rid of the home button and shrinking the bezel down would make you lose valuable battery space on the inside. That would mean even less battery life. So, even though the idea is cool and would look great, i don't think it's feasible. Not just because of the loss of battery area but because of touch id, dfu mode and physical feeling of a button etc. As people above has mentioned.

huh??? What????

 

[Retired Cat]

Plus, getting rid of the home button and shrinking the bezel down would make you lose valuable battery space on the inside. That would mean even less battery life. So, even though the idea is cool and would look great, I don't think it's feasible. Not just because of the loss of battery area but because of Touch ID, DFU mode and physical feeling of a button etc. as people above has mentioned.

The idea I had in mind was to make the screen bigger and take up space that the bezel used. The overall front area would not change much at all.

Apple had a patent that showed TouchID integrated into the display, which might make this possible.

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I like having the physical button, but it does tend to develop issues. I've already had mine fixed once and may need to again. It gets "crunchy".

 

[The Doctor11]

Should Apple keep the mechanical Home Button? I'm not sure.

In favor if the mechanical Home Button:
(1) Gives the user feedback and makes a satisfying "click". You know when you pressed it.
(2) Unlikely to activate by accident because it needs force to press.

Against the mechanical Home Button:
(1) Takes up space that could be used for a larger display. The lower bezel on iPhone is relatively big for a top-end smartphone.
(2) Mechanical buttons wear down and are more likely to break than buttons with no moving parts.

Anyone have additional ideas?

I am sure this is controversial because the mechanical Home Button has been a central feature of iPhone since the original iPhone.

You should add a poll to this thread

 

[Max(IT)]

With TouchId they need to keep a real button on their device, and I like the idea.
I like also the capacitive buttons of my Lumia, while I don't like so much the onscreen buttons on my nexus 7.

 

[brilliantthings]

Or maybe it was the hard camera button (something that I would also welcome on iPhones).

FYI: The Volume Up button is the hard camera button on iPhones.

 

[dba415]

I hit the home button by accident a lot on my android tablet and it's really annoying especially when I'm playing a game. I prefer physical

 

[Agent-P]

FYI: The Volume Up button is the hard camera button on iPhones.

It works, but it doesn't allow for half presses to set the focus before taking a picture like the camera button on the Lumia does.

 

[jafingi]

Keep the physical button, but make more use of the touch sensor in it. E.g. on jailbroken 5S's you can unlock it just by placing your finger (with fingerprint enabled) on the button. No need to press it to bring the screen to life.

Could be nice if it could support touch gestures. E.g. in Safari go back/forward by swiping left/right over the home button. Doubletap (without clicking it) to bring up multitasking etc.