iOS 11 Dock and Gesture Controls to Replace 'iPhone 8' Home Button Entirely

[blancoBronco]

Well, you apparently invoke Siri by holding down the power button now.

https://mobile.twitter.com/_inside/status/903093716814102529

Guess that also explains the new shut down screen that was earlier reported.

we're basically getting a bixby button functionality on the power button now then

 

[ksnell]

Not really. Older people have gotten used to buttons for decades. The notion of "swiping" is a new thing for younger people.

Forcing people to change by itself isn't a great way to sell products or drive adoption. If that change solves a needed problem, people tend to go along with it. If that change seems like unnecessary complexity, or a solution in search of a problem, then people are either slow to adopt or don't adopt at all. There are literally hundreds examples of business school case studies proving this central point.

As someone who has done a lot of UX and UI work, I can tell you that the same lessons are in the textbooks there, too.

I get where you are going with this but we haven't even seen the product yet. If the future is touch screen and software based interactions, should we hold back the entire world or maybe just create a "Tips" app like they already have so everyone can learn the way of the future.

If it is really that big of a concern they can just keep the iPhone SE for those unable to adopt new tech.

 

[john123]

I get where you are going with this but we haven't even seen the product yet. If the future is touch screen and software based interactions, should we hold back the entire world or maybe just create a "Tips" app like they already have so everyone can learn the way of the future.

If it is really that big of a concern they can just keep the iPhone SE for those unable to adopt new tech.

You're right that we haven't seen the actual product. That said, since the entire purpose of the forums is to discuss speculation and rumors, what we're doing right now is reasonable, no?

I think there's an implicit assumption about what you typed--namely, what the future looks like. Things that might seem "better" or future oriented often don't catch on. Some old tech examples apply (e.g., Betamax vs VHS; Atari 5200 vs Atari 2600).

But beyond that, I think the big issue people have is that they aren't convinced this will be "better" anyway. Apple's become notorious for making decisions involving tradeoffs that aren't no-brainers. Just look at the complaints about the MacBook Pros, for example. Lots of people love them...and lots of people don't.

If "the future" fragments a user base, there's a strong argument to be made that it won't remain the future for long.

 

[apolloa]

Ok...am I reading this right?

So there will not be touch ID which is integrated into tons of apps?

Am I the only one that sees this as an issue?

Well I don't think I've seen 3D Touch mentioned anywhere yet? I mean it's just as ridiculous for these 'reports' to claim Apple will be dumping any form of home button all together! They've gone from simple button click even on screen to remembering loads of swipe gestures that I bet will be tricky to do with a case on the phone...
[doublepost=1504203302][/doublepost]

Well, you apparently invoke Siri by holding down the power button now.

https://mobile.twitter.com/_inside/status/903093716814102529

Guess that also explains the new shut down screen that was earlier reported.

Ppfffttr hahahahaha oh this just gets worst and worst! Apple has declared nuclear war on the Home Button!!

 

[Crow KC]

Raise to wake was to take a look at the notifications on your locked screen but if the phone unlocks every time then those notifications will not be seen. Maybe cover your face till you finish reading?

This is why Facial/Iris recognition is dumb. Say I'm using the App Store, and thinking about buying something. I tap the price, then the password or TouchID prompt gives me a moment to reconsider. Then my fingerprint or password is a firm finalization to the transaction. That's a beautiful thing with TouchID. I don't want to tap the price (maybe even by accident) and have a purchase go through just because my face is in front of the phone. Alternatively, they could require a button tap to confirm after FaceID, but then nothing is saved over TouchID, and it's less elegant overall. I've used both iris and fingerprint on scanners to access datacenters, and strongly prefer fingerprints.

Also, what's to stop somebody holding you in restraint from unlocking your phone against your will by simply pointing it at your face? Apple has traditionally thought all this through and even added a quick way to disable TouchID so that a password that cannot be easily forced so I'm really curious to see what solutions they have to keep a facial recognition feature from being a security vulnerability.

 

[ksnell]

You're right that we haven't seen the actual product. That said, since the entire purpose of the forums is to discuss speculation and rumors, what we're doing right now is reasonable, no?

I think there's an implicit assumption about what you typed--namely, what the future looks like. Things that might seem "better" or future oriented often don't catch on. Some old tech examples apply (e.g., Betamax vs VHS; Atari 5200 vs Atari 2600).

But beyond that, I think the big issue people have is that they aren't convinced this will be "better" anyway. Apple's become notorious for making decisions involving tradeoffs that aren't no-brainers. Just look at the complaints about the MacBook Pros, for example. Lots of people love them...and lots of people don't.

If "the future" fragments a user base, there's a strong argument to be made that it won't remain the future for long.

And for me I can envision a future where the home button seems antiquated. Sometimes you try new things and they don't work, but with tech you always have to keep trying and innovating. People were pissed about the lack of headphone jack in new phones, but they seem to be doing alright with their Airpods now.

 

[827538]

So let me see if I understand this. You say you're excited—enough to likely preorder ASAP. But you're not sure about losing functionality that you admit to love. So this comes down to blind faith that Apple "thought [it] through," even though your own user experience suggests this is a drawback?

I don't know about you, but when I'm about to throw $1000 at something new, I don't put blind faith in any manufacturer, or even reviews by other people for that matter. Apple has been prone to make more and more polarizing decisions in recent years. Go back about 5 years, and you'll find most everyone on board with their decisions. Sure, there was some grumbling, as there always is, but people understood why changes were happening. You have to go back to the Motorola days to find a time when a large, large contingent of the user base was convinced Apple was doing something completely dumb. (And, I'll point out, that's a great example of when the blind faith in Apple was misplaced. Fortunately, they eventually fixed that mistake.)

Then I'll cancel my order or sell the phone. I need to order it immediately to get one on launch and to sell my old one for the highest possible value. I could probably just sell it regardless on eBay or Gumtree and make a little profit.

This is one of the most valuable things being made. I'm sure some of the brightest minds and endless resources have been poured into perfecting whatever they've decided on. Ideally we will all be surprised and TouchID will be under the display then it's the perfect device. 12 days until we all know.

 

[kdarling]

Entire philosophy? iOS was designed for zero buttons initially. Ive had to persuade His Steveness to add the home button.

Never heard that one before. Especially since Jobs wanted an iPod wheel at first instead. Got any references?

The Home button was probably proposed by an engineer as a solution to a common smartphone problem back then, which was how to reset to get out of a software hang. The iPhone Home button acted basically as a launcher reset switch hidden in plain sight and constantly used. Brilliant!

No Touch ID for security? really?

The iOS authentication API makes no mention of any specific biometric method. So apps will have no idea that the method changed.

Such ease of change is a primary reason to have any API. Heck, one day they might use brain waves and older apps will still work.

 

[Michael Scrip]

The iOS authentication API makes no mention of any specific biometric method. So apps will have no idea that the method changed.

Such ease of change is a primary reason to have any API. Heck, one day they might use brain waves and older apps will still work.

Ah... so you think it will be an invisible transition. I hope so!

Because imagine coming home with a new iPhone 8... restoring it from a backup... and opening this app:

I can hear the complaints now, "Where do I put my finger?!?!?"

I'm guessing developers will be able to start updating their apps immediately after the announcement on September 12... for a new phone what will launch a few weeks later?

I'm not doubting old apps will work with new authentication methods.

It'll just be weird to have that box pop up... with a picture of a fingerprint... and the words "Touch ID" and "fingerprint"...

...while the iPhone 8 doesn't have a fingerprint sensor.

 

[kdarling]

I'm not doubting old apps will work with new authentication methods.

It'll just be weird to have that box pop up... with a picture of a fingerprint... and the words "Touch ID" and "fingerprint"...

...while the iPhone 8 doesn't have a fingerprint sensor.

Holy moly, that's a great point which no one has brought up yet!

Wonder how many apps have embedded the words "fingerprint" or "TouchId" in a popup? Or even simply used it in their app store description.

If Apple had fully planned out a transition to other biometric methods, then surely they would've also been vetting apps for this all along. Or maybe the OS could watch for and replace those words in an alert automatically?

(Personally I'm still hoping they include a fingerprint sensor on the power button.)

 

[Michael Scrip]

Holy moly, that's a great point which no one has brought up yet!

Wonder how many apps have embedded the words "fingerprint" or "TouchId" in a popup? Or even simply used it in their app store description.

If Apple had fully planned out a transition to other biometric methods, then surely they would've also been vetting apps for this all along. Or maybe the OS could watch for and replace those words in an alert automatically?

(Personally I'm still hoping they include a fingerprint sensor on the power button.)

Yep.

iPhone 8 will ship with iOS 11

I'm guessing there is code in the OS that uses alternative terminology when used on the iPhone 8. (at least in the system-level popup in my example)

Surely this has been figured out. I'm not smarter than the engineers at Apple.

As for the terminology elsewhere... there will still be iPhones with TouchID sensors in-use for years. So the developers can't delete those words yet in the App Store or in their instructions.

 

[irontiger82]

Really interested in how the function will work seamlessly without a physical button. They wouldn't change it if it wouldn't work very well. People would be in arms.

 

[mistafro]

No Touch ID for security? really?

FaceID

 

[Spazticus]

Not again. If there really is this much change, I'll just switch to another smartphone.

 

[john123]

Really interested in how the function will work seamlessly without a physical button. They wouldn't change it if it wouldn't work very well. People would be in arms.

Companies--including Apple--make shortsighted, boneheaded decisions all the time. Just because Apple's historical track record is pretty good doesn't mean they can't be making a mistake here. They've made a lot more controversial and arguably bad design decisions in the last few years, and that statement is not just based on the musings of people on these forums.

 

[Freshmixture]

The problem with gestures is that they not intuitive for many people. I use them all the time. But my parents? When they’re baffled by their iOS device, there’s always that one button they can hit. Now, when they’re stuck, the solution will be to swipe a finger up from the bottom. And why are they supposed to think of that? There’s no cue that this is an available action. You have to already know about it.

This is probably why they're making the 7S