Here's What the Status Bar and iPad-Style Dock Could Look Like on 'iPhone 8'

[MacRumors]

Earlier today, well-connected Apple reporter Mark Gurman said the so-called "iPhone 8" will have a thin software-based bar along the bottom of the home screen, controlled by gestures, in lieu of a physical home button.

Gurman also said the Dock, which houses up to four commonly used apps, will be redesigned with a new interface similar to the one on the iPad version of iOS 11. Above it, there will still be six rows of apps, with up to 24 apps per page.

The status bar is said to be split into left and right sides, which some Apple employees supposedly call "ears" internally. By default, the left side shows the time, while the right side displays Wi-Fi, signal bars, and battery life.

With those details in mind, graphic designer Olivier Charavel created a mockup of what the Home screen could look like on the iPhone 8.

Charavel also shared a mockup of Apple's Health app as an example of what apps could look like on the iPhone 8 accordingly.

Gurman said users can drag the gesture bar up to the middle of the screen to unlock the device. When inside an app, a similar gesture starts multitasking, and users can continue to flick upwards to close the app and go back to the home screen.

Guilherme Rambo shared a video that demonstrates how it could look once the Dock has been summoned, based on Apple's iOS simulator for developers.

This is what the floating dock looks like on an iPhone pic.twitter.com/BbKVIL7yO8 - Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 30, 2017

More Coverage: iOS 11 Dock and Gesture Controls to Replace "iPhone 8" Home Button Entirely by Tim Hardwick

Article Link: Here's What the Status Bar and iPad-Style Dock Could Look Like on 'iPhone 8'

 

[orev]

Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button, even if it's a virtual one drawn in the same place on the screen as the hardware one.

My expectation is the virtual home button will automatically appear "on raise", based on the motion and proximity sensors.

 

[Paddle1]

Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I really can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button.

There's still Assistive touch.

 

[stevefeinstein]

Is 3D touch still supposed to work? OLED was supposed to make that harder. And if it does are there any new ways it'll be used in lieu of a home button?

 

[mattopotamus]

Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I really can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button.

To be honest, it looks like this is what we are getting. Rumors have been on point the last few years. I personally am going to pass on the 8 for this reason, and bet on the 8S having an actual virtual/under screen home button.

 

[dontwalkhand]

This I'm okay with. Show carrier name when swiping down like Android and it'll be fine. Just don't get rid of the clock!

 

[canadianreader]

I love it on the ipad but on the iphone ?? hummm

 

[drinkingtea]

Ugly, honestly.

 

[LordQ]

Nice, but I don't think the bar will be the thin and long, perhaps something similar to the NC and CC ones on the lock screen back in iOS 7?

 

[MareLuce]

This I'm okay with. Show carrier name when swiping down like Android and it'll be fine. Just don't get rid of the clock!

Excellent point - the carrier name won't be visible.

Yay! Be gone, extraneous data.

 

[PaulKemp]

I dont understand, how will returning to the home screen work? What finger action will be return to the home screen?

 

[Dwalls90]

Okay, but really hope app "cards" look like this instead of the Health app picture in the article.

 

[redheeler]

To be honest, it looks like this is what we are getting. Rumors have been on point the last few years. I personally am going to pass on the 8 for this reason, and bet on the 8S having an actual virtual/under screen home button.

Apple isn't known for taking a step back like this. My guess is that the iPhone 7s will be around for a couple years, but after it gets discontinued, no more home button. Habits and workflows do change.

Just hope Apple's software solution is a suitable replacement.

 

[macduke]

My prediction:

• Swipe up a little, dock comes up. 5-6 icons with one that shows up for continuity.
• Swipe up fully, four panes of currently open iPhone apps.
• Swipe left for more recent apps, or swipe right for Control Center. Although they could make control center another swipe up, or combine it with a 3D Touch gesture to activate.

This brings it in line nicely with the iPad Pro. This also explains why some of the drag and drop stuff was working on the iPhone in iOS 11 but wasn't covered by Apple. What I wonder is since this display is so freaking tall, might we get horizontally split multitasking? That would be crazy, and maybe too weird. I also have to wonder where the other status bar icons will go—if they'll be visible if you pull down or tap on the status area, or be visible when you multitask or something. Personally I've often thought that they could get rid of most of them.

 

[orev]

There's still Assistive touch.

That's only relevant if it's enabled by default and in the same location as the current home button. People who are not comfortable with complicated phones (of which there are millions) are also not comfortable going deep into settings to enable esoteric features.

My expectation is the virtual home button will automatically appear "on raise", based on the motion and proximity sensors.

If this dock stuff is true, then it would only be after you get through the home screen at least, but I still really don't see it replacing the home button. The entire paradigm of iPhone is the home button is always there to get you back to a known location no matter where you are in an app.

 

[redscull]

Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button, even if it's a virtual one drawn in the same place on the screen as the hardware one.

Strongly agree. Apple has been reducing usability steadily ever since they shed skeumohism, which is when a hardware design expert started pretending he was skilled at software user experience design. Getting rid of the home button is that final step in eliminating what made the iPhone so approachable to so many. It's a sad day if true.

 

[Zaft]

Okay, but really hope app "cards" look like this instead of the Health app picture in the article.

I would prefer this as well, but based on a picture from Home pod software Apple is fully embracing the notch.

 

[JGIGS]

Would really be nice if Apple could do a white and black theme to menus and you could choose the one that that blends in better with your bezel. Though just a black one would be probably be best. Was disappointed that Android Oreo moved to a white notifications menu really hard on the eyes in a dark room.

 

[alan7467]

This all reminds me so much of WebOS which makes me very very happy

 

[oneMadRssn]

Reminds me of Palm's WebOS. Just goes to show how ahead of the their time they were with the gestures and multitasking.

 

[AngerDanger]

It's fun to imagine that Guilherme Rambo found all of these software/videos at once and has been slowly leaking them to the public while giggling.

 

[ThePeej]

Gurman said users can drag the gesture bar up to the middle of the screen to unlock the device. When inside an app, a similar gesture starts multitasking, and users can continue to flick upwards to close the app and go back to the home screen.​

OK, so global gestural control of the OS was actually AMAZING on Blackberry 10. I know I know... Blackberry?? But hear me out: I was a mobile UX Designer & spent a couple weeks using a Blackberry z-10 when it launched, just to get to know the OS. And for MONTHS afterwards I continuously tried invoking their "upside down L" gesture to get into the unified messages screen. REALLY great experience.

Everything else on the device was horrible. And not even being able to load Android Apps saved the terrible lack of app eco-system. But that experience has given me hope that adding global gestural control to the iPhone could be a HUGE improvement overall.

EXCITING!

 

[Dilster3k]

Big fat no, I highly doubt they would perpetuate and glorify the black lump on the top... Why else go with OLED otherwise? I think they will blend the two together seamlessly and not shed focus on it; giving all apps a card-like feel to it.

Likely will be a black bar except on the lock & home screen... but not apps, even on that Health app the spacing seems off.

Edit: as usual people can't get behind the removal of the home button, just like the headphone jack last year; stop getting stuck in the past people. Be open to the fact that smartphones in 5 years and onwards may not have any physical buttons at all.

 

[Dwalls90]

I would prefer this as well, but based on a picture from Home pod software Apple is fully embracing the notch.

Not saying you're wrong, but can you post that video please? I recall seeing a few videos from Twitter, but can't locate them at this time.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Right now I find this ugly. But I know that like all Apple fans, I'm going to eventually come to see it as the greatest thing ever and wonder how I ever questioned it. So I've got nothing to worry about