I guess it's the exact opposite people from those with tiny girl hands who claimed the iPhone's 3.5 inch screen was the perfect size.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sketchy Rumor Claims Sapphire-Covered Capacitive Home Button for iPhone 5S
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I guess it's the exact opposite people from those with tiny girl hands who claimed the iPhone's 3.5 inch screen was the perfect size.
Internaut
macrumors 65816
Not good enough! I want transparent aluminium.
Sapphire is coming by the way. Eventually, for the whole screen:
Reg mining correspondent talks ores and slags
Sapphire is coming by the way. Eventually, for the whole screen:
Reg mining correspondent talks ores and slags
its not for gorilla hands, i guess this rumour is true as they will use it for fingerprint system.
Fat Louie from NYC
Hey, I don't have fingerprints. Will I still be able to use my future iPhone?
Hey, I don't have fingerprints. Will I still be able to use my future iPhone?
Just wondering something.
If the home button will now be touch sensitive then wouldn't people accidentally touch it a lot of times? Especially on landscape mode? I don't see that working.
If the home button will now be touch sensitive then wouldn't people accidentally touch it a lot of times? Especially on landscape mode? I don't see that working.
I dunno. I kinda like having a physical button. The tactile feel of it. Shooting pictures with it, I like to press an actual button.
A capacitive touch button doesn't thrill me, but I will withhold judgement until i can test the final product.
About the fingerprint sensor tho....wouldn't it be on the screen itself? And not the tiny circle of a home button?
A capacitive touch button doesn't thrill me, but I will withhold judgement until i can test the final product.
About the fingerprint sensor tho....wouldn't it be on the screen itself? And not the tiny circle of a home button?
Haha, exactly. One of my old teachers was like John Bonham and Animal from the Muppets when typing on a keyboard, absolutely abused those keys.
I've never had a problem with any of my three iPhones' home buttons. Anecdotal, but still. You're pressing the button wrong guys.
Better than plastic, I can feel the difference.
Don't worry some company will make an accessory for that problem you'll see.
Don't worry some company will make an accessory for that problem you'll see.
Hahaha, wow, almost choked [on the 3rd cup, probably a little hyper ...]
I'm a big fan of the physical button too. It has concise tactile feedback, it's easy to locate by touch, it doesn't get accidentally pressed ... my couple of phones with capacitive buttons drove me nuts.
I've asked this before and am still curios about how many finger (digit) scans will the device keep in memory. I don't imagine that the same finger or thumb will need to be used every time. For example, if you have a bandage on your thumb, it would be an inconvenience if that was the only digit scanned on the device.
I suppose it will have a secondary log-in/lock option similar to the face unlock available in Android.
I suppose it will have a secondary log-in/lock option similar to the face unlock available in Android.
using Sapphire glass for the home button is not going to make it fails less. What fails is the actual button mechanism; that's what would need to be replaced in the first place.
Now imagine adding a fingerprint sensor to it may make the problem even bigger if the button fails, or make it more sensitive to failure; that is, unless they get rid of the mechanical part of the home button.
A mechanical button prevents accidental activation of the phone. It's been happening with my HTC phone, and it's a pain that it dials by itself many times. Can't wait to get an iPhone.
Now imagine adding a fingerprint sensor to it may make the problem even bigger if the button fails, or make it more sensitive to failure; that is, unless they get rid of the mechanical part of the home button.
A mechanical button prevents accidental activation of the phone. It's been happening with my HTC phone, and it's a pain that it dials by itself many times. Can't wait to get an iPhone.
They could use a capacitive button and it still work/feel like the existing Home button. How?
Yes, capacitive touch, but without "accidental" presses - it will require a "significant" press to register a full click. The same amount of force that the old Home button requires (it can detect "accidental" presses).
Yes, physical click: It may include a mechanical component that allows it to be "clicked". The mechanical part won't be what registers the click, it will just be there to give the familiar tactile feeling.
The fingerprint sensor can be made to look like the existing Home button.
So, in the end, you end up with with a Home button that looks and feels the same, but is more durable and more functional.
Yes, capacitive touch, but without "accidental" presses - it will require a "significant" press to register a full click. The same amount of force that the old Home button requires (it can detect "accidental" presses).
Yes, physical click: It may include a mechanical component that allows it to be "clicked". The mechanical part won't be what registers the click, it will just be there to give the familiar tactile feeling.
The fingerprint sensor can be made to look like the existing Home button.
So, in the end, you end up with with a Home button that looks and feels the same, but is more durable and more functional.
Honestly, I would welcome a capacitive home button. I have had home button go bad on two phones (even though I usually use gestures via Activator most of the time).
Fact: The "sleep/wake" button on the top of the iPhone fails more often than the home button. Make that thing a diamond or something...
Since the first iPhone it's been my idea to implement a touch sensitive home button.
Pre-iOS 4:
Touch for home.
Click for music controls.
Post-iOS 4:
Touch for home.
Click for app switcher.
Would be much better than the current double tap imo. However, I doubt Apple will implement it this way, I think it'll be for fingerprint reading only.
Pre-iOS 4:
Touch for home.
Click for music controls.
Post-iOS 4:
Touch for home.
Click for app switcher.
Would be much better than the current double tap imo. However, I doubt Apple will implement it this way, I think it'll be for fingerprint reading only.
I know this sounds Nuclear, but try this for those of you who are having home button issues. Hold your phone so the screen of the phone, the display, is facing the floor, or the table etc. Take a pen Or a sharpie For example, and tap the home button rather hard and somewhat violently over And over again. This loosens up any dust or debris behind the home button and sometimes you'll even see goo come out of the sides of the home button. Hope this helps. Also, excuse any weird grammatical errors or capitalization. I'm using voice dictation.
I press that button like once a month. The home button also wakes. And I don't ever turn off the phone. So sometimes I do use it to sleep or to send a call to voicemail.
This is kind of lame if true. I was hoping it would just be able to read anywhere on the screen and developers could build apps around it. Hopefully they still open it up to devs.
Mineral education for the day
Guess what your aluminum phones are already covered in Sapphire.
When Aluminum oxidizes or is oxidized it forms a mineral called Corundum. Corundum is the mineral that makes up Sapphires. Aluminum Anodizing is a process that forms a surface layer of Corundum and frequently they add a color to it since corundum can take on almost any color with the right mineral added to the process. Although Apple tends to like to leave their Aluminum looking bare so they typically don't add a color so it's transparent.
So now you know your Aluminum devices are probably covered in Sapphire already.
The weak point to anodizing is the surface below it. The anodizing is pretty much impervious to scratching but if something is large enough to press through the surface layer into the material underneath you will tear the anodizing. This is how your pretty Aluminum devices get scratched despite being covered in Sapphire.
Guess what your aluminum phones are already covered in Sapphire.
When Aluminum oxidizes or is oxidized it forms a mineral called Corundum. Corundum is the mineral that makes up Sapphires. Aluminum Anodizing is a process that forms a surface layer of Corundum and frequently they add a color to it since corundum can take on almost any color with the right mineral added to the process. Although Apple tends to like to leave their Aluminum looking bare so they typically don't add a color so it's transparent.
So now you know your Aluminum devices are probably covered in Sapphire already.
The weak point to anodizing is the surface below it. The anodizing is pretty much impervious to scratching but if something is large enough to press through the surface layer into the material underneath you will tear the anodizing. This is how your pretty Aluminum devices get scratched despite being covered in Sapphire.
My iPhone 4 home button failed, stopped working all together. Fortunately I managed to jailbreak and switch the key around.
