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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_slope

(I still don't quite follow how flipping a mute switch in the pocket really works, let alone how that is more convenient than just pressing and holding the down volume button, for example, as was mentioned as how it might be done if the mute button was removed.)

That said, I'm all for the mute switch being there and remaining there.
It wasn't about just holding down the volume button. You have to unlock the phone before you can use the volume buttons to control muting
 
It wasn't about just holding down the volume button. You have to unlock the phone before you can use the volume buttons to control muting
As it is right now, yes, however what I was referencing is what someone suggested might be a way doing it while the phone is locked if the mute switch was removed.
 
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Are we really that lazy a society that we can't take a phone out of our pocket to mute it?
It's not about being lazy, it's about having better things to do than second guess which arcane combo of volume/home/whatever buttons is going to silence the phone. The volume switches already mean different things in different contexts (volume of music, volume of alerts, declining an incoming call...), and the home button does about a million things as well, from unlocking the phone to initiating Apple Pay to Siri, to... you get the point. And neither of these can tell you its state in a tactile manner in the dark or in your pocket. Think about it: many of the times when you need to silence your phone are the exact times when you maybe don't want to take it out and fiddle with it.

The switch does this perfectly. It does ONE thing, does it consistently, and it's self-evident which state it's in.

Interesting.

I actually use my phone so it is very seldomly left in my pocket.
Ahh, ok, I didn't realize. There's this thing you can do called "not using your phone", and it's pretty great.
 
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This is easy to implement with volume buttons.

Hold down volume down for two seconds to mute. The phone would buzz twice quickly to confirm.

Hold down volume up for two seconds to unmute. The phone would chirp to confirm.

I still prefer the physical switch, but its absence doesn't HAVE to be horrible if it's well-implemented.
 
I hope they don't get rid of it. I think it's one of the best features of iPhones that isn't as easy to do on Android.
 
It's not about being lazy, it's about having better things to do than second guess which arcane combo of volume/home/whatever buttons is going to silence the phone. The volume switches already mean different things in different contexts (volume of music, volume of alerts, declining an incoming call...), and the home button does about a million things as well, from unlocking the phone to initiating Apple Pay to Siri, to... you get the point. And neither of these can tell you its state in a tactile manner in the dark or in your pocket. Think about it: many of the times when you need to silence your phone are the exact times when you maybe don't want to take it out and fiddle with it.

The switch does this perfectly. It does ONE thing, does it consistently, and it's self-evident which state it's in.


Ahh, ok, I didn't realize. There's this thing you can do called "not using your phone", and it's pretty great.

You are reinforcing the point of getting ride of a single switch. A switch that does, one, thing, only. An...arcane switch.

My iPad Pro and S7 Edge do pretty well without a rocker switch when I need to mute it.

If you really leave your phone in your pocket so often and it's so inconvenient to take it out and 'fiddle with' when you need to mute it, why not just leave it in silent/vibrate mode?

You get the point.
 
Personally, I have a feeling they'll remove it sooner than later. I think the mute/rotation switch removal on the iPad was a pilot of sorts, and I don't recall a whole lot of complaining.

That could be because the switch is used a lot less frequently on iPads than iPhones. Personally, I can probably count on two hands (maybe one) the number of times I've used that switch on my iPad. My phone is a different story. And I almost think I'd get even more use out of that switch as a rotation lock/unlock...;)
 
Good to hear it's not going away. For the morons who say it's laziness, sorry but sometimes I have better things to do or maybe I only have one hand available. I've always had issues with other phones with accidental presses changing the volume, but with the physical mute switch it's very difficult to accidentally press it.
 
You are reinforcing the point of getting ride of a single switch. A switch that does, one, thing, only. An...arcane switch.

My iPad Pro and S7 Edge do pretty well without a rocker switch when I need to mute it.

Good for you. Not the case for everyone.

If you really leave your phone in your pocket so often and it's so inconvenient to take it out and 'fiddle with' when you need to mute it, why not just leave it in silent/vibrate mode?

Great idea. You solved everyone's problem! Hey everybody, just leave your phones on silent all the time becuase this guy doesn't like there being a mute switch.
 
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