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touch screen home button?

O

Old Wembley

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 23, 2009
52
0
As i browse through my iphone, checking emails, texting, and on multiple internet tabs...i find it annoying to click down the home button to return home. What if instead of clicking the button down, you could just lightly tap it and have it do the same job?

i would love to have it just like the touch screen. how about you guys?
 
I like the home button as a physical button. It feels like it really anchors the home screen down.
 
That would keep your screen on all the time (whilst in your pocket).
And if it was touch-ish, you might bump it while doing something.
 
Agreed ... it's sometimes jarring to move from touch to physical button.

And if the Home physical button fails on the iPhone, the device becomes mostly unusable.

Ironically, other touchscreen phones such as those with Windows Mobile, can actually be used without touching buttons if you wished. The Start and all other menus are available from the touchscreen itself. (A power button turns on the screen, so no there's no problem with it coming on in your pocket.)

The reason Apple went with a physical button, was because it can server as a physical reset when apps run wild, without the user realizing it. Very clever, actually.
 
kdarling said:
Agreed ... it's sometimes jarring to move from touch to physical button.

And if the Home physical button fails on the iPhone, the device becomes mostly unusable.

Ironically, other touchscreen phones such as those with Windows Mobile, can actually be used without touching buttons if you wished. The Start and all other menus are available from the touchscreen itself. (A power button turns on the screen, so no there's no problem with it coming on in your pocket.)

The reason Apple went with a physical button, was because it can server as a physical reset when apps run wild, without the user realizing it. Very clever, actually.
Click to expand...

However, what they should add is some way to fix things when the home button does go bad. I'm not sure what, but I know there are ways around it if JB. So, it would be nice if they'd add the same kind of flexibility. I personally would only use it when the buttons stopped working.
 
How's about adding more buttons, like IDK...... A CAMERA-DEDICATED BUTTON!!!!

Sorry about that :D
 
TheMBC said:
How's about adding more buttons, like IDK...... A CAMERA-DEDICATED BUTTON!!!!

Sorry about that :D
Click to expand...

nah. Dedicated buttons suck. Next you'll want dedicated play/rewind/fast forward for the ipod, etc. Just let us tap anywhere on the screen (i guess it would have to be a two finger tap or something now that single tap is focus).
 
A touch sensitive home button is a bit of an iffy thing for me, its cool and an easy transition from screen to home button but i would constantly press it by accident and it would stay on in my pocket.
 
...but....

You barely have to click the home button.. I like it having at least 1 real button.. touch screen buttons are easily activated.. so IMO the real button is kinda perfect :) but like I said.. IMO.:eek:
 
JennaMcDowell said:
...but....

You barely have to click the home button.. I like it having at least 1 real button.. touch screen buttons are easily activated.. so IMO the real button is kinda perfect :) but like I said.. IMO.:eek:
Click to expand...


I agree. I like the touch on the screen. The home button is easy enough to use and does all I really want it to do until :apple: adds any other functions to it.
 
Old Wembley said:
As i browse through my iphone, checking emails, texting, and on multiple internet tabs...i find it annoying to click down the home button to return home. What if instead of clicking the button down, you could just lightly tap it and have it do the same job?

i would love to have it just like the touch screen. how about you guys?
Click to expand...

I was gonna say that they need to have a physical button in case the phone freezes and you need to do a hard reset, but...

then I remembered my iPod 3G, which was ALL touch, and the reset is the same as the other iPods, Menu+Select.

So yea, a touch home button would be cool.
 
Lack of vision....

A "touch screen" type button could be implemented without any of the negative scenarios posted above. The method would only be available while the phone was on, so there no chance the method would activate while the phone was in your pocket.

Moreover, an option could be provided in Settings to enable or disable the method for all those who are perfectly happy with the physical button.

One way the method could be implemented is a diagonal swipe from top to bottom, bottom to top, whatever.

The home button going south must be enough of a problem that someone created a jailbreak option for users with broken home buttons. It would come in handy if your on vacation and your home button malfunctions. Of course you can always just tape the white dots on the bottom of the screen to get back to home. Long way around if you have alot of pages.
 
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