Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

julianchan123

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2014
34
23
I was a iPhone 4 user and after 2 years of using, the home button started to become sluggish and I need to use assistive touch to prevent it from further damage.

I've recently started using iPhone 6 and am wondering if users of the iPhone 5s think the Touch ID is durable????? Do you think it became sluggish after one year of use? :D:D
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,484
43,408
I was a iPhone 4 user and after 2 years of using, the home button started to become sluggish and I need to use assistive touch to prevent it from further damage.

I've recently started using iPhone 6 and am wondering if users of the iPhone 5s think the Touch ID is durable????? Do you think it became sluggish after one year of use? :D:D
The iPhone 5s is only a year old, and you stated you started running into issues after 2 years, so asking about the 5s may be too soon.

As for button wear and tear, I've never had issues with my button getting sluggish. This is my first phone with touch id, so I cannot comment on that, but perhaps your issues were not the norm. My wife's iPhone 5's home button is fine, and that phone is over 2 years old.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
I was a iPhone 4 user and after 2 years of using, the home button started to become sluggish and I need to use assistive touch to prevent it from further damage.



I've recently started using iPhone 6 and am wondering if users of the iPhone 5s think the Touch ID is durable????? Do you think it became sluggish after one year of use? :D:D


I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

None of us had issues with our 5's.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.
 

Hal~9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2014
2,150
2,075
I was a iPhone 4 user and after 2 years of using, the home button started to become sluggish and I need to use assistive touch to prevent it from further damage.

I've recently started using iPhone 6 and am wondering if users of the iPhone 5s think the Touch ID is durable????? Do you think it became sluggish after one year of use? :D:D

I use assistive touch as a preventative measure since:
a) I plan to keep my 5s as many years as possible
b) My 4s power button got stuck

To me, it's not so much touchID that you have to watch out for... it's the power button. Hell, even after I power off the phone via assistant touch, I don't turn the phone back on with the power button... I simply plug the charging cable into my phone instead.
 

TranceNW

macrumors regular
Aug 18, 2007
156
4
Essex, United Kingdom
I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

None of us had issues with our 5's.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.

I think you're right. I do recall a news item on here regarding a change in construction of the home button to address this issue.
 

Hal~9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2014
2,150
2,075
I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.
I think you're right. I do recall a news item on here regarding a change in construction of the home button to address this issue.

What was it before they switched to a metal spring that caused the 4/4s to get stuck?
 

jerparker1

macrumors regular
Sep 30, 2014
127
52
Southeast, Iowa
I use assistive touch as a preventative measure since:
a) I plan to keep my 5s as many years as possible
b) My 4s power button got stuck

To me, it's not so much touchID that you have to watch out for... it's the power button. Hell, even after I power off the phone via assistant touch, I don't turn the phone back on with the power button... I simply plug the charging cable into my phone instead.

Paranoid much?
 

TranceNW

macrumors regular
Aug 18, 2007
156
4
Essex, United Kingdom
What was it before they switched to a metal spring that caused the 4/4s to get stuck?

I couldn't answer that, probably a faulty design in some way.

Think how much use the home button gets, it's bound to take some wear and tear. That said, since the design change there are certainly less reports on here of the home button becoming unresponsive.

My suggestion, just enjoy your device and don't worry.
 

julianchan123

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2014
34
23
I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

None of us had issues with our 5's.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.

That's good to hear!
I also recalled a news at June this 14 claiming that the touch ID on 6 will be more durable

Now i would prefer to use the touch ID button freely and just use the assistive touch when it becomes stuck
 

iososx

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2014
859
6
USA
Mechanical buttons like Apple clings to are vulnerable to dirt debris and fluids. On Screen Touch buttons like those located on the retracting Nav Bar of many Androids like the Nexus 5 are far more contemporary. They a lot faster as well, especially for multitasking. Keeping the old school button is contrary to Apples image as a forward thinking advanced company.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
Mechanical buttons like Apple clings to are vulnerable to dirt debris and fluids. On Screen Touch buttons like those located on the retracting Nav Bar of many Androids like the Nexus 5 are far more contemporary. They a lot faster as well, especially for multitasking. Keeping the old school button is contrary to Apples image as a forward thinking advanced company.

They have technology well beyond mere touch buttons.
They make a calculated decision to keep the tactile feel of the press-click.
 

iososx

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2014
859
6
USA
They have technology well beyond mere touch buttons.
They make a calculated decision to keep the tactile feel of the press-click.

I attribute Apples choice to the older customer that in some cases has a fear of new things and is borderline overwhelmed with any smartphone, but wants to be seen as open minded by their adult children.

Also in retrospect the button doesn't slow down an iPhone much as their multitasking is rather slow and odd anyway. Yet I enjoy the iPhone for casual use.

When I have serious work to accomplish while on the go traveling through airports and such, I set aside my iPhone and use my lightning fast all touch Nexus 5. My workflow consists of constant multitasking between several apps, a task made easy by design. Using Android 4.4.4 it's fast fun and done in very short order.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
I attribute Apples choice to the older customer that in some cases has a fear of new things and is borderline overwhelmed with any smartphone, but wants to be seen as open minded by their adult children.

Also in retrospect the button doesn't slow down an iPhone much as their multitasking is rather slow and odd anyway. Yet I enjoy the iPhone for casual use.

When I have serious work to accomplish while on the go traveling through airports and such, I set aside my iPhone and use my lightning fast all touch Nexus 5. My workflow consists of constant multitasking between several apps, a task made easy by design. Using Android 4.4.4 it's fast fun and done in very short order.
lol must be nice to get paid to post on message boards.
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
I attribute Apples choice to the older customer that in some cases has a fear of new things and is borderline overwhelmed with any smartphone, but wants to be seen as open minded by their adult children.

Also in retrospect the button doesn't slow down an iPhone much as their multitasking is rather slow and odd anyway. Yet I enjoy the iPhone for casual use.

When I have serious work to accomplish while on the go traveling through airports and such, I set aside my iPhone and use my lightning fast all touch Nexus 5. My workflow consists of constant multitasking between several apps, a task made easy by design. Using Android 4.4.4 it's fast fun and done in very short order.

Are you this patronizing in your real life? You must be sooo tedious to be around.
 

iososx

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2014
859
6
USA
Are you this patronizing in your real life? You must be sooo tedious to be around.

How immature of you. Instead of continuing the discussion, you turn to personal attack. Apparently overwhelmed with emotion, it's your first response...
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
How immature of you. Instead of continuing the discussion, you turn to personal attack. Apparently overwhelmed with emotion, it's your first response...

Quite the opposite; your tone is difficult to ignore. Whatever you're saying sinks far beneath the film of condescension that floats on the top of your statements, in this thread and throughout MR.

iososx said:
I attribute Apples choice to the older customer that in some cases has a fear of new things and is borderline overwhelmed with any smartphone, but wants to be seen as open minded by their adult children.

If this is what you really believe, it's pitiful that you have such a low and superficial opinion of elders and of Apple customers. Your ageist petticoat is showing.

Back on topic, I don't care it there is a button or not, as long as it works. Apple or Android, use what suits your situation.
 

iososx

macrumors 6502a
Aug 23, 2014
859
6
USA
I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

None of us had issues with our 5's.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.

This mirrors my experience and that of several of my friends iPhone 4 & 4S when they were current models. Since then I've only used my iPhone 5 & 5S models as temporary placeholders.

Instead I switched to Android as my primary smartphone OS. Between the larger more useful display, faster speed and smoother transitions, on efficiency and fun they are far better suited to the demands of the workflows I handle daily.

Both my Nexus 5 and Note 3 running Android 4.4.4 KitKat have been extremely reliable, stable and fast. So much so, I've decided to enjoy them for another year.

That'll give Apple time to sort out the bugs and annoyances from the iPhone 6 Plus. By then I will be ready to try an iP6S and see if they've made the OS more useful for my requirements.
 

tigress666

macrumors 68040
Apr 14, 2010
3,288
17
Washington State
I had the same button issues as well as several family members. With 4/4S some even under a year.

None of us had issues with our 5's.

I think starting with the 5 switched to a metal spring and fixed this.

I think the 4's were really bad about it. I actually got mine replaced under warranty due to that problem (it started within a few months of having it and got worse as the months went on and I finally decided to get it replaced before warranty was gone cause it was getting pretty bad) and then used assistive touch on the new one to keep it from happening again. My roommate's 4's button also died but his took a lot longer (it was way past warranty when his started going bad).

I can't tell you if my five was better. I had gotten so paranoid of it by then and used to assistive touch I did the same thing with my 5. So the button works but it's also been very babied so it's not a good indication of if they fixed it.

I plan on jumping the gun and using the button on the 6 due to the touchID. So I'm glad to hear that maybe they fixed the problem in the 5's.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.