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When I first started using my iPhone X, the unused space was initially bothersome to me, but I've gotten used to it. I'm sure this is already on Apple's radar.
 
The reason for this design choice is this: have you ever tried to bring up control center in iOS 10.x.x when you're inside iMessages and the keyboard is active? More often than not the gesture doesn't work consistently.

Now the same thing would have happened trying to swipe back home, a gesture that's going to be used often.
 
Jesus christ people, the phone JUST came out. Let Apple get some feedback before freaking out about every single detail. This can easily be fixed in a future update, so really its not much of a issue. Also, remember this is the first gen of the next 10 years.
 
I consider the Camera icon, app store icon and microphone icon on my keyboard to also be wasted space. I disabled all of the apps and hid the app bar on my iPhone 8 and turned off predictive text as well as the emoji keyboard. I still think it's a waste of space to only have half a text window.
 
I don't mind it. If anything, I would consider adding the cut, copy & paste buttons in there to make it easier with those gestures.
 
The keyboard is one of the areas where Apple could really put some effort into. At the very least it would be nice to get swipe typing available in the stock keyboard. Would also be nice if they would allow 3rd party keyboards more access to the system. They have hobbled 3rd party keyboards so badly, I don't enjoy using them.
 
I noticed this too. I expect a future point release will slim that down.

Edit: they never had gestures working right beneath the keyboard before though so maybe they’re finally fixing that. I can’t count the number of times I tried to get to control panel from messages and the keyboard stimied me.
 
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I actually don't mind the bottom chin design element

I just wish it weren't so tall - hence a noticeable amount of wasted space

But having emoji and Siri separate from embedded in keyboard is smart

Can't tell ya how many times I've Hit the Siri button wanting to just hit the space bar :p

I like a slightly raised keyboard too seems more ergonomic to hold device with fingers geared a bit more up from the bottom
 
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I really don’t like it (the notch is lovely and useful in use, the keyboard gap is annoying)

But the reason it is there is so the keyboard remains the same height with apps that aren’t updated for X yet.

Hopefully in time Apple can move it down a little bit, but it’ll take a while until non optimised apps are the minority.
 
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Why do we have to shove things in there? I really don't want stuff in that close proximity to the Home Bar. There's enough screen in use already.

Why does it matter if anything is close to the home bar...? Do you have swipe up tourettes or something?
 
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If Apple adds stuff there, I'm sure people will find something else to complain about or the implementation won't be what they wanted or work as well as they'd hoped.
 
There's so much more missed oppurtunity by apple to make the device better.... Don't get me wrong i enjoy it alot but here is a list of stuff alot of people want:
  1. Bring up the status bar information so it fits better next to the notch, if needed make the font of it smaller.
  2. Add an option to unlock the phone without swiping up.
  3. Add control center to the multitasking screen instead of stretching your thumb every time.
  4. Force close apps by swiping up instead of holding one down first. One can simply swipe from bottom to get back.
  5. Get back battery percentage in the status bar.
  6. Make safari landscape mode wider on the iPhone X.
  7. Customize lock screen force touch buttons.
  8. Hide the "home" bar.
  9. Dark mode is even more important for the X due to OLED burn-ins.
This empty wasted keyboard space is just another one to add to the list.
For #2, my guess is this is a security thing. For me the unlock and swipe gesture happen at the same time so it doesn’t bother me. Agree with #3 & 4. For #8 apparently there is an option for the home bar to disappear after a certain amount of times. Devs just need to implement it. And #9, yes yes yes. Hopefully iOS 12 finally brings dark mode. But I wonder how that would work on older iPhones and iPads that aren’t OLED? Do the not get dark mode option?
 
There is a lot of wasted space littered throughout the OS. Keyboard is just one example.
 
The reason for this design choice is this: have you ever tried to bring up control center in iOS 10.x.x when you're inside iMessages and the keyboard is active? More often than not the gesture doesn't work consistently.

Now the same thing would have happened trying to swipe back home, a gesture that's going to be used often.

This is exactly why I like it the way it is.
 
This just seems like the Apple way. Losing the home button is a huge change after ten years. They want to make sure it's as easy as possible to adjust to the new home swipe up. So, for a while, that space will be empty, so that no one accidentally hits something down there while getting used to a new gesture. Maybe later, like in iOS 12, we'll see something. If it makes sense to add.
 
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