Apple could remove home button in next-gen iPad, iPhone - rumor
An unverified report claims that Apple is planning to remove the home button on the iPad and iPhone as early as later this year, relying instead on multitouch gestures to return to the home screen.
Boy Genius Report is reporting that, according to one of its sources, Apple is already testing iPads and iPhones without home buttons on its Cupertino, Calif., campus. However, since the report itself admits the information is "pretty wild," readers should take it with a grain of salt.
"We are told that Apple, at some point in time, will remove the home button from the iPad?s design. Instead of button taps, you will use new multitouch gestures to navigate to the home screen and also to launch the app switcher," the report predicted.
"It's possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year," wrote author Jonathan S. Geller.
The report also cites new multitouch gestures from a beta version of iOS 4.3 released Wednesday that enable a 5-finger pinch gesture for accessing the home screen. Other gestures new to the beta include a swipe up to reveal the multitasking tray and a swipe left or right to switch between open applications.
Apple's iLife and photo-taking application Photo Booth could also make their way onto the next iPad, the report speculated.
Though BGR has had a respectable track record with AT&T and iPhone announcements, its Apple-related predictions have been less accurate. In 2009, the site incorrectly claimed that Blu-Ray support was coming to iTunes 9.
More recently, the site reported that a cloud version of iTunes with wireless syncing was "definitely happening soon." Last January, BGR reported "Apple tablet-related news" involving a "solid Apple / Verizon connection."
Boy Genius Report is reporting that, according to one of its sources, Apple is already testing iPads and iPhones without home buttons on its Cupertino, Calif., campus. However, since the report itself admits the information is "pretty wild," readers should take it with a grain of salt.
"We are told that Apple, at some point in time, will remove the home button from the iPad?s design. Instead of button taps, you will use new multitouch gestures to navigate to the home screen and also to launch the app switcher," the report predicted.
"It's possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year," wrote author Jonathan S. Geller.
The report also cites new multitouch gestures from a beta version of iOS 4.3 released Wednesday that enable a 5-finger pinch gesture for accessing the home screen. Other gestures new to the beta include a swipe up to reveal the multitasking tray and a swipe left or right to switch between open applications.
Apple's iLife and photo-taking application Photo Booth could also make their way onto the next iPad, the report speculated.
Though BGR has had a respectable track record with AT&T and iPhone announcements, its Apple-related predictions have been less accurate. In 2009, the site incorrectly claimed that Blu-Ray support was coming to iTunes 9.
More recently, the site reported that a cloud version of iTunes with wireless syncing was "definitely happening soon." Last January, BGR reported "Apple tablet-related news" involving a "solid Apple / Verizon connection."
Comments
From BGR, it is pure conjecture. And because it is from BGR, I am more inclined to believe that it is shameless pageview poppycock.
Not to mention what would happen if an application implements the same gestures so that every time I went to reload the manor on my grade 6 elven dragon sword the system jumped back to the home screen.
Gestures for application switching would be great... but they can only work well from the home screen.
Edit: Oh, and you're not exactly quitting apps when doing so. Not sure if you can really say webOS has a home screen.
Now I could see them moving the button from the bezel area, allowing that to be reduced, and putting it on the side.
Bullshit. What happens when an application locks up? Press the power button and lock\\unlock? Reboot? That would be a fantastic UX...
Not to mention what would happen if an application implements the same gestures so that every time I went to reload the manor on my grade 6 elven dragon sword the system jumped back to the home screen.
Gestures for application switching would be great... but they can only work well from the home screen.
I doubt developers will have access to multi-touch gestures. I think it'll strictly be for multitasking purposes and avoid exactly that kind of a mess and confusion.
You don't remove it. If sensors fail on the interface, the Power Button will take you to the default set up and could be extended to default into a power down/safe mode if the interface is failing.
Probably some sort of cost cutting measure. They just cant leave well enough alone, can you apple.
Probably some 20 something x gen developed this feature and thought, hey mon this is cool no button!
DOn;t crao around with out buttons Jobs, or someone will get pissed and star a campaign to have it put back on!
l don?t buy it. The new gestures are pretty cool, but that button is still useful! For everything from toggling Search to enabling assistive features to triggering voice commands to taking screenshots... and yes, bringing up the home screen.
Nice!
I still don't think they can make that work in 3rd party applications though. The home button is here to stay.
An unverified report claims that Apple is planning to remove the home button
Best thing that could ever happen to iPhone. It simply takes too much of valuable space that could be used by a larger/wider screen. If you still want a hardware button there are plenty of vacant spaces on the edges.
i could see it on the ipad where the home button is seemingly out of place. it is so small in comparision the the screen and if you have ever played fruit ninja you would know that the home button is accidentaly hit at times. also with such a big screen, a five figer gesture is much more natural than on the iphone. however apple values consistency, so i find it hard to believe that the home button will be scrapped since a finger gesture consisting of more than 2 fingers is awkward on a <4 inch screen.
Fruit ninja is an excellent example of where the home button is REQUIRED to swiftly quit the app. The game supporst up to five finger fruit slashing. So multi touch gestures are already taken and thus unavailable. Practically this would mean that developers aren't allowed to use more than 3 fingers, in order to secure system functionality with 4 and 5 fingers. That's just stupid if you ask me. Please, let this just be a crazy speculation. I like the supposed new multi touch gestures, but there mus be a button too in case of the apps already using multi touch.. Like crazy visuals apps or piano apps, guitar apps etc.
Man I hope that is not true, I am sick and tired of Apple just taking things away that seem to work just fine,
Probably some sort of cost cutting measure. They just cant leave well enough alone, can you apple.
Probably some 20 something x gen developed this feature and thought, hey mon this is cool no button!
DOn;t crao around with out buttons Jobs, or someone will get pissed and star a campaign to have it put back on!
Hate to say it, but there aren't really any 20-something gen x folks around, since gen x is generally regarded as ending in 80-81. We're all in our 30s and 40s now.
Also, I can't see it saving any money. It would primarily make the display area larger. Or the whole phone smaller, but I suspect that's not the way they'd go. Too hard to work with something really small.