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iPhone 8 Virtual Home Button Can Likely Resize and Hide Completely As Needed

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Yesterday, HomePod firmware revealed that the iPhone 8's facial recognition software will seemingly support Apple Pay, multiple facial profiles, and third-party apps. Now, as the uncovering of Apple secrets within HomePod firmware continues apace, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has revealed details on Twitter about the iPhone 8's virtual home button, stating that it "resizes" as needed to fit certain tasks on the smartphone.

Specifically, Troughton-Smith described a "periphery" area of the system user interface that expands/minimizes and shows/hides the iPhone 8's virtual home button as it's needed. There will be tab bars that extend under this periphery area, and no evidence was discovered of an ability for this part of the UI to change color. According to Troughton-Smith, this means that the indicator Apple is building for the virtual home button area "will have to contrast well" with any background and colors displayed on the rest of the display.

kuoiphone8size.jpg
Proposed iPhone 8 "function area" by Ming-Chi Kuo​
There was also no evidence found that suggests any piece of app UI will be part of the home button area in any form, meaning Apple plans to keep the bottom home button piece of UI clean and uniform whenever it's brought up. Troughton-Smith did mention that whenever a user plays a fullscreen video, the content will hide the home button controls.

We know some facts re iPhone 8 home button area:eek: it resizeso indicator can be hiddeno no API to change coloro tab bars extend under it - Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) August 10, 2017
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The idea of a virtual "function area" on the iPhone 8 was detailed earlier this year in a report written by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who stated the the 5.8-inch screen on the device would have a 5.15-inch usable display. The remaining area of the screen would be reserved for an area of virtual buttons, including a home button, but Kuo's report never hinted that the function area might resize or be "hidden" completely whenever the UI allows it, as Troughton-Smith has discovered.

In addition, Troughton-Smith tweeted out the metrics for the upper status bar on the iPhone 8. The code further confirmed previous HomePod firmware findings that related to a "split" status bar on the device, with what's expected to be camera and sensor hardware sitting between two virtual pieces of UI. Designer Olivier Charavel has already used the metrics to create a mockup of what this status bar should look like on the real iPhone 8, including connection strength and a battery indicator.

iphone-8-sensors-area.jpg


Previously, Troughton-Smith said the new status bar seemed "more complex and powerful" in its design, and even said that it could be "interactive" in some way.

In regards to the iPhone 8's bottom area and virtual home button findings, Troughton-Smith tweeted that, "all of these things are supported by API evidence, so this is the clearest picture of its functionality we have to work from." HomePod firmware is building up a good indicator of what we can expect from the iPhone 8 when Apple announces the device next month, including advanced facial recognition features likely replacing Touch ID completely, 4K video recording, "SmartCamera" functionality, and more.

Article Link: iPhone 8 Virtual Home Button Can Likely Resize and Hide Completely As Needed
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/10/iphone-8-virtual-home-button/
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Firstly the scales portrayed in these drawings are completely different to the photos of the apparent mock up devices, in those the iPhone 8 is much bigger then the iPhone 7.
And secondly is a rumour about an on screen button being able to disappear really front page news??

If it has a virtual button it will most likely copy what Androids been doing for years, hardly exciting.
 
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Well just sign me up OLED iPhone with a function area. Hell YES!

Not worried bout TouchID never used fingerprint scanner on my S8 as the facial recognition was so much easier.
 
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Reactions: chrisbru
Well this was just obvious. Some of the mock ups we've seen show a UI black bar across the bottom of the screen at all times. That's simply not how Apple will play this, they'll talk about how having a UI home button means you can use more of the screen because the button doesn't even need to be there most of the time. The screen will extend all the way to the bottom of the device and you'll somehow be able to 'call' the home button as and when needed. Or it'll always be there as a very faint circle.
 
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The idea of a virtual "function area" on the iPhone 8 began earlier this year in a report written by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
Click to expand...

Could we stop with this stupid brown-nosing of Ming Chi Kuo in EVERY single article? That idea did not begin with him... tons of people were speculating it. And hell, Ming Chi Kuo has been wrong about a LOT lately.
 
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NewtonPippin said:
Could we stop with this stupid brown-nosing of Ming Chi Kuo in EVERY single article? That idea did not begin with him... tons of people were speculating it. And hell, Ming Chi Kuo has been wrong about a LOT lately.
Click to expand...

I agree, Ming Chi Kuo doesn't know more than many other people, just guessing as well.
 
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This phone will be a big hit.

Don't really like the cutout upper earpiece area. Would rather see it go across the phone, personally.

I'm impressed apple can make the bottom bezel disappear. Can they or is this just wishful thinking? We'll soon see!
 
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Reactions: xpxp2002
Is it just me or is all of this information leaked from the HomePod a little too easy? Or was this just a major oops and someone is getting fired?
 
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Reactions: eatrains
seriously, Right now the only thing that's tempering my [HYPE] for the iPhone 8 is iOS

if this device turns out the way the rumours are showing, I might finally get back on the iPhone. this is looking like one compelling smartphone option
 
JarScott said:
Well this was just obvious. Some of the mock ups we've seen show a UI black bar across the bottom of the screen at all times. That's simply not how Apple will play this, they'll talk about how having a UI home button means you can use more of the screen because the button doesn't even need to be there most of the time. The screen will extend all the way to the bottom of the device and you'll somehow be able to 'call' the home button as and when needed. Or it'll always be there as a very faint circle.
Click to expand...
And then Twitter will be full of legit (and wannabe) UI designers complaining about “affordance” and “discoverability” and trashing it like they do 3D Touch right now.
 
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It would be nice if we could have some controls in this area—not just to go back to the last app but to also go back to the previous UI view. I really don't like using reachability and I can't help but think it will be even more cumbersome without a physical button always available. That stretch to reach to top of the display is really gonna suck and one of the things I hated most about the iPhone Plus.
 
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apolloa said:
Firstly the scales portrayed in these drawings are completely different to the photos of the apparent mock up devices, in those the iPhone 8 is much bigger then the iPhone 7.
And secondly is a rumour about an on screen button being able to disappear really front page news??

If it has a virtual button it will most likely copy what Androids been doing for years, hardly exciting.
Click to expand...
Yes, because this is called Mac "RUMORS"
 
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