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

[KavalierMalta]

With each day that passes, the more I want this iPhone edition So hyped for the iPhone 8!!

 

[DNichter]

Call me a Luddite, but I still miss the keyboard from my env3.

I press the home button multiple times per minute when using my phone. If that becomes a multi step process it will be an enormous headache. I also frequently unlock it without looking at it. Being unable to do that even if there's still Touch ID will bite.

Everyone has their own way of doing things. For me, it will likely become second nature. iOS 11 multitasking is an example of change that I adapted to very quickly.

 

[AndyK]

Errr... Do you even use a phone? The bottom is the best place for navigation buttons to be.... The top of the phone is the hardest place to reach when using one hand.

We don't all like using our phone two handed...

Never heard of the reachability shortcut double tapping the home button? It's far easier to reach the top buttons one handed using it than not even with a 'regular sized' phone (unless you have Trump size hands). As a developer the nav bar moving to the bottom means a lot of work to think what to do with tab bars from a UX point of view.

 

[B4U]

With a virtual home button, I wonder what the sequence of buttons will be for a "hard reboot" and screen shot...

The home button was not used on the iPhone 7 & 7 plus for hard reset. So I don't see why this is an issue.
On the other hand, the screenshot is what I wanted to know.

 

[TheDreaded26]

It'd be nice if they ditched the signal indicator (because they're required to show the carrier name) in favor of a clock. Maybe the signal strength could fade in periodically along with batter percentage:

View attachment 712397

I understand switching between the carrier and signal strength, but why switch between battery and percent? why not just have an option to choose one over the other. Similar to what is now implemented with percent able to be toggled on and off?

 

[xpxp2002]

Wonder what the carriers are going to say when they need to fit in something like VSW WI-FI

Carrier tags were much more relevant 10 years ago. With carriers (at least those in the US) hiding the few times they let you roam anyway, I could see the carrier tag being removed entirely by iOS 12. Just replace it with a combined Wi-Fi + handset icon for when Wi-Fi calling is active.

 

[AngerDanger]

I understand switching between the carrier and signal strength, but why switch between battery and percent? why not just have an option to choose one over the other. Similar to what is now implemented with percent able to be toggled on and off?

Erm… to appease Apple's desire to include vague graphical representations of numerical values?

But you make a good point; viewing one or the other would be preferable.

 

[Bacillus]

Sooo.....they removed the chin on the hardware only to add the chin in software, so what's the great gain from this again?

Let me guess: the FaceID camera senses your face expression to see that you are about to tap the home button
It's great. You save energy and time.
Now train the system with 3 irritated "Force Restart" grimes...

 

[cliffster82]

You force touch the home button area. It works like that on the S8 its a very simple solution and Apple have already got people understanding the use of force touch. whereas it was a new feature to Samsung users. But do you hear any complaints of no home button from S8 users? Nope.

Not surprisingly, I have no idea how a Samsung device works. That's interesting. Could work. Would be easy to see which end is correct to press since there would be a big NOTCH at one end and not on the other.

 

[jimbobb24]

The home button functionality is the biggest mystery left for the iPhone 8. Sounds like Touch ID is gone, so all that's left is to figure out how I get home when I'm in the middle of cat videos on Instagram.

Still shocked a company would remove their single most useful interface development since the phone began for...a bigger screen. What a joke. I have a hard time imagining switching phones, but if there is not an iPhone with touchID it will be a tough sale. We are gaining very little (some pixels) and losing something important. Apple thought the headphone jack was evidence they can just make things worse and worse and call it courage. How long will users put up with that. Samsung users put up with the terrible touchID on the back, so who knows.

 

[expiredyogurt]

if the iphone 8 is smaller than the 7 that would sold me on it already. the phones are starting to be larger and larger and it just doesnt fit into my hand / pocket anymore.

gotta admit the iphone 8 model does look pretty sick

 

[subjonas]

Let me guess, it can be swiped up together with the dock and control center like on the iPad with iOS 11

I hope not. Frequently swiping up from the bottom of the elongated display is going to be killer on the hand.

 

[spinedoc77]

PLEASE yes! That's my biggest fear has always been that idiotic function bar permanently taking up valuable screen space. If it is possible to hide it I'd be extremely psyched.

 

[SAIRUS]

Carrier tags were much more relevant 10 years ago. With carriers (at least those in the US) hiding the few times they let you roam anyway, I could see the carrier tag being removed entirely by iOS 12. Just replace it with a combined Wi-Fi + handset icon for when Wi-Fi calling is active.

Yeah I always saw them being removed.

Now the more important question, where are they gonna put the alarm clock icon?!

 

[Swift]

Pretty sure the home button can be established with ARKit-type APIs, probably confidential, and the fingerprint read through that. It means no apps down in that area. How about a document that covers the home button? Do you have to move it up to show the home button? Could it differentiate between clicking on a link in the doc and a home button press? Asking for a friend.

 

[orev]

Never heard of the reachability shortcut double tapping the home button? It's far easier to reach the top buttons one handed using it than not even with a 'regular sized' phone (unless you have Trump size hands). As a developer the nav bar moving to the bottom means a lot of work to think what to do with tab bars from a UX point of view.

Handheld device design has LONG held that navigation should be at the bottom, not the top. Reachability doesn't matter. When controls are on the top you're always covering the screen with your hand/finger, while when they are at the bottom you can still see everything on the screen. This has been the accepted approach since Palm Pilot days. The only reason people put controls on the top is because developers are coding on their Macs where you test with a mouse, and that doesn't cover the rest of the screen when testing. They don't do enough usability testing on an actual phone.

 

[Tech198]

i never meant Apple had the freedom to resize stuff and confuse the user.

I don't mind virtual buttons IF they stay put... Next will see the home button jump around from menu to menu, just like how inconsistent back/cancel buttons are now between apps

Not enough to sway me still, but i'll give Apple a go any chance i get Promise

 

[AndyK]

Handheld device design has LONG held that navigation should be at the bottom, not the top. Reachability doesn't matter. When controls are on the top you're always covering the screen with your hand/finger, while when they are at the bottom you can still see everything on the screen. This has been the accepted approach since Palm Pilot days. The only reason people put controls on the top is because developers are coding on their Macs where you test with a mouse, and that doesn't cover the rest of the screen when testing. They don't do enough usability testing on an actual phone.

If that were the case iOS would have never adopted it in the first place or changed it soon after. The fact is you have UINavigationBar and you have UITabBarController which a lot of apps make use of simultaneously. Suddenly shifting the nav to the bottom with no prior beta notice will cause a lot of apps to break / be even worse than you perceive the problem to be right now.

 

[Duane Martin]

Sooo.....they removed the chin on the hardware only to add the chin in software, so what's the great gain from this again?

Try this: first, go stand in front of a wall; then, go stand in front of a window.

The entire screen is functional allowing you to see things and interact.

 

[littlecrossrace]

The gift that keeps giving....

It’s like having a membership to the jelly of the month club.

 

[mrklaw]

You force touch the home button area. It works like that on the S8 its a very simple solution and Apple have already got people understanding the use of force touch. whereas it was a new feature to Samsung users. But do you hear any complaints of no home button from S8 users? Nope.
[doublepost=1502379909][/doublepost]

Videos will use the full screen obviously, thats the gain. Returning to home screen would require force touch in home button area. Just like the S8...

yeah all my 18.5:9 videos will really make full use of the screen It'll be like ipad only with bars on the sides instead of the top. Not sure why they didn't keep the original 16:9 ratio. watching a 16:9 video would actually be a use case where you could leave the virtual home button area there as it'd be blacked out anyway.

If they use force touch in eg the bottom area to act as 'always the home button' or to bring up the overlay, then won't that effectively mean no apps can use force touch because it'll always be needed for that? I don't necessarily have a problem with that - I don't really use force touch except for keyboard cursor, and interacting with imessages on the home screen - just curious. I want as much screen as possible as often as possible. That means more than just watching videos or playing games - I want more of my apps and web pages visible too.

 

[kingalexthe1st]

Considering that apple often shares its technology between its products (eg Force Touch on the watch, becoming 3D touch on the iPhone) has anyone considered that the dock may be the same as the Touch Bar on the MBPs?

 

[Bane-Thunder]

yeah all my 18.5:9 videos will really make full use of the screen It'll be like ipad only with bars on the sides instead of the top. Not sure why they didn't keep the original 16:9 ratio. watching a 16:9 video would actually be a use case where you could leave the virtual home button area there as it'd be blacked out anyway.

If they use force touch in eg the bottom area to act as 'always the home button' or to bring up the overlay, then won't that effectively mean no apps can use force touch because it'll always be needed for that? I don't necessarily have a problem with that - I don't really use force touch except for keyboard cursor, and interacting with imessages on the home screen - just curious. I want as much screen as possible as often as possible. That means more than just watching videos or playing games - I want more of my apps and web pages visible too.

Please remember NOTHING is confirmed, it may still be 16:9 ratio Apple has not revealed the new iPhone everything is speculation.

Force touching the home button area when watching videos wouldnt be a problem as it isnt on the S8. This doesnt stop apps from using force touch. I don't get what angle you're coming from with that.

The home button area force touch would be activated when the full screen is in use in video mode, it doesn't mean it will be always on when using other apps.

In fact I imagine when using apps you'll still have the function area space at the bottom with the virtual home button visible. Theres no need for the virtual home button to disappear unless you're watching a video or playing a game which should then activate the force touch home button area to return to home screen.

I suggest you go to a phone shop try out the S8, I had it for 3 months but got sick of android. Watch videos on it an try out the home button force touch.

 

[GreyOS]

Never going to happen. Carriers are too vain and I'm pretty sure it's their requirement that the carrier name is displayed. They always want you to know who you're getting service from, and it comes in very handy to know when you're roaming.

Right. I forgot about that and updated my OP accordingly.

Really? Android doesn't show carrier name in the status bar. And yes, that's on carrier unbranded handsets too.
edit: there's a setting to show it though. And it shows on the lock screen. But carriers don't mandate it's in the status bar.

 

[Briedijs]

Solution