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Apple could remove home button in next-gen iPad, iPhone - rumor - Page 2

post #41 of 107
1/13/11 at 3:26am
if there is one usability issue with iPhone it is the lack of a physical button for the camera appp. Make the Home button available to user apps and your problem is solved. I absolute detest the Touch to snap a pic interface.
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post #42 of 107
1/13/11 at 3:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nkhm View Post

Hideous - what's intuitive about that? Having to read an instruction manual to learn how to use the power button? No thanks... Just leave the home button where it is. Simples.

agreed, it's a hideous "solution".
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post #43 of 107
1/13/11 at 3:43am
From what I remember iOS already has a 3 finger gesture.......... the Zoom into whole screen.

The home button also has the function of bringing up voice control.

And considering iOS 4.3 beta has the option of disabling multi-touch. It must mean you should be able to do the same gesture tasks with the home button or other ways, like now.

I find it hard to believe that they will remove the button.
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post #44 of 107
1/13/11 at 4:04am
...because although the button acts as a superb panic button, in particular in the dark, one often spins the iPad around to find the button because it is not backlit. Secondly, removing the button would enable a thinner bezel, and thirdly, if you have ever used Apple's 'Photos' iPad app, it also uses the multi finger 'Home' gesture to collapse photo album views back to the their index stacks, an intuitive and obvious interface paradigm that needs to be extended across to all iOS (and Anrdoid?) apps. (If you know what I mean!)
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post #45 of 107
1/13/11 at 4:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by myapplelove View Post

agreed, it's a hideous "solution".

++

Agreed, terrible idea.

1) Those thinking you are going to get more screen size, highly doubt it. I have a hard time believing it would be practical for Apple to introduce and implement another screen size where you are only gaining a few pixels in one direction.

2) I use the iPad with young kids including some with downs syndrome. They can easily understand the home button and what it does, a multi gesture, nah.

3) How would you get into DFU mode if needed? Could this be a another attempt at making some jailbreaking procedures not work?

4) What's the compelling reason for changing? What would replacing the home button give to the customer? Sure for Apple it reduces costs, but for the end user?

Apple, if it isn't broken, don't try fixing it!

At least they relented and gave us the option for designating the purpose of the mute button in 4.3 beta. Listen to the people.
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post #46 of 107
1/13/11 at 4:14am
Steve hates buttons.


But really, I do not see them removing it if not for the reason to restart a locked up device as someone mentioned.
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post #47 of 107
1/13/11 at 4:24am
MY sources say that this report is true. Instead of pressing the home button, you turn the iPad over, hold it over your head, and shake.

Can't wait for the Etch-a-Sketch people to sue.
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post #48 of 107
1/13/11 at 4:41am
It was rumored that Jobs wanted no buttons on the original iPhone. He may finally get his way.
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post #49 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:12am
Might upset the disabled world. There are people out there without a full set of digits for whatever reason, and some (often elderly) with a disability (eg Parkinsons) who would find using a 5 finger swipe over-challenging
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post #50 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:17am
why can't apple learn from past mistakes and leave well-enough alone. Sometimes, for certain things, people like the physical button. A prime example of this is the iPod Shuffle. When they removed all buttons and relied solely on touch to control the device, it was a huge failure. Gestures for everything just seems a bit much. I'm really getting tired of this "everything must be touch" crap from Apple. If SJ's excuse for hating buttons is that they are limiting and eventually break, then i call BS because most consumers in general (unless they are incredibly abusive to their devices) don't keep them long enough to see them break. He also already proved that the home button can be used for other things. Like multi-tasking. What's next? The power button goes away and you have to shake the device to wake it up?

Please note, my response is based on this rumor being true. I am fully aware this is a rumor and these posts could very well be nonsense.
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post #51 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iPedro View Post

lol... you do realize that Apple controls the OS, the core of the phone? The developers are the ones who need to fall in line, not Apple. Apple will simply make 4 finger gestures unavailable to developers.

I know what is and isn't possible, I just find the idea of Apple breaking thousands of applications with an update unlikely.
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post #52 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:32am
I completely agree with this statement. This may be OK on the iPad, but to have multi-touch gestures for the home screen on the iPhone is crazy. I use my iPhone with one hand and tap the home button with my thumb to switch apps or go to the home screen, while i'm driving, walking around or just casually using the phone to check messages and email. To get rid of this button is crazy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ALUOp View Post

The real reason that they will not remove the home button on iPhone and go with multi-touch gesture is that it will always require more than one finger to operate the phone. Requiring more than one finger practically means requiring more than one hand. This is absolutely unacceptable for a phone. On iPad, multi-touch gesture may be a great idea, but definitely not on iPhone.
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post #53 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3goldens View Post

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!

If it does happen it will be because of Steve's hatred of buttons.
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post #54 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason98 View Post

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.

That would mean - replace the home button with the new on one of the edges.
Also this would probably mean a redesign of the top - where the proximity sensor, front-facing camera and a phone-speaker are located.
If any of this happens - there would be very much unused space on the front panel. Are they going to shrink the iphone? (because making a 'higher' screen is very unlikely because of the battery life. If they shrink iPhone - also a question where they put the battery.

So the redesign like this (removing or even replacing the home button) is VERY UNLIKELY, mostly because of the further aesthetic design and form factors.

I say, it is a TROLL.
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post #55 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:36am
I hope so! apple can enlarge the screen closer to 4 inch !!! plus bigger battery and bigger hardrive!
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post #56 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:53am
Why can't they move the button to the back?
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post #57 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbro1999 View Post

Why can't they move the button to the back?

That's where hands go. They tend to press things.
PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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PhilBoogie
That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things.
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post #58 of 107
1/13/11 at 5:59am
So Apple adds gestures and someone assumes that the home button is being removed. Whatever.
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post #59 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:14am
I lost two fingers in a boating accident. I guess I will never be able to get back to the home screen.
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post #60 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:19am
probably, this is just a speculation from BGR..

isn't just coincidence that they just report it JUST AFTER the new multitouch gestures?
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post #61 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gctwnl View Post

5-finger multitouch gesture: Lose a finger, lose your iPad.

Any system without redundancy/fat is brittle.

Use your other hand. Not that big of a deal.

-Sent from my iPad

Sorry, couldn't resist...
\Apple has always had competition. It's just been in its blind spot.
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\Apple has always had competition. It's just been in its blind spot.
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post #62 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdkennedy1 View Post

So Apple adds gestures and someone assumes that the home button is being removed. Whatever.

Somebody posts on AI. Whatever.
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post #63 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:25am
I would think that at the most, they'd make the home button smaller and *maybe* move it.
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post #64 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by latency View Post

... 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.

Indeed. a lot of my phone usage is thumb only. What kind of multi-gesture would I need now that I have to start casually using the phone with two hands...
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post #65 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:27am
This would suck, especially for persons with disabilities that have limited movement and use the HOME button quite often.

I hope this is not true.

Dan
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post #66 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefly7475 View Post

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 tend to agree. Add the gestures as "User selectable" (optional) but keep the home button.
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post #67 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartin684 View Post

I lost two fingers in a boating accident. I guess I will never be able to get back to the home screen.

There will be a way to do this. Apple is behind Universal Access in a big way - can't see 'em dropping it for this feature. As I said in another post Add the gestures but keep the button.
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post #68 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by smartin684 View Post

I lost two fingers in a boating accident. I guess I will never be able to get back to the home screen.

On the positive side you wouldn't have any reception issues on the iPhone 4!

Swings & roundabouts my friend, swings & roundabouts.
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post #69 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ascii View Post

I would like them to disable the slide-to-unlock thing on the iPad. It makes sense on the iPhone, but my iPad just sits on the coffee table when not being used. Having to slide across every time I pick it up is annoying, I want to press the wake button and immediately get started.

Great point. I never thought of that but now I will every time I open the iPad

Quote:
Originally Posted by IlikeAppel View Post

Not everyone has all 5 fingers. How would they access the home screen? I'm sure Apple will think of some elegant solution in future updates.

Another good point. I can see a class action suit filed by Texas carpenters.


I like the home button because it allows me to orientate myself very quickly without having to look. On the phone, I can pull it out of my pocket and quickly know exactly what position it is in and spin it around if needed. On the iPad it helps me know where the sound and mute/rotation lock buttons are. BTW do something about those. If you own an Apple case, those buttons suck! What a pain to change the volume with those buttons.
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post #70 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:44am
Besides the intended function of the Home button on the iPhone 4, I use the button to know what the orientation of it is in my pocket. I prefer Home button down when its in my pocket screen facing forwards. Plus, when spinning the phone in my hand to pocket it, the Home button provides a pivot point.
15" Core i7 2.66GHZ MacBook Pro (non-glare), 500GB 7200rpm, 16GB iPhone 4, 80gb 5.5G iPod, Airport Express, 24" Dell 2407WFP-HC
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15" Core i7 2.66GHZ MacBook Pro (non-glare), 500GB 7200rpm, 16GB iPhone 4, 80gb 5.5G iPod, Airport Express, 24" Dell 2407WFP-HC
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post #71 of 107
1/13/11 at 6:44am
If Apple did indeed remove the home button, it would essentially be blatantly ripping off Android 3.0's new feature of no physical navigation buttons and all done on-screen. Yet another attempt of Apple in trying to catch up to the competition.
Fragmentation is not just something we have to acknowledge and accept. Fragmentation is something that we deal with every day, and we must accept it as a fact of the iPhone platform experience.

Ste...
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Fragmentation is not just something we have to acknowledge and accept. Fragmentation is something that we deal with every day, and we must accept it as a fact of the iPhone platform experience.

Ste...
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post #72 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post

If it does happen it will be because of Steve's hatred of buttons.

I wonder if the elevator's in Steve's mansion have buttons, or if it is all touch? Oh wait, or voice control? Surely not...telekenisis? \
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post #73 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by yodaxl7 View Post

I hope so! apple can enlarge the screen closer to 4 inch !!! plus bigger battery and bigger hardrive!

and don't forget the extra room could be used for a dual 8-track player. Woo hoo!
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post #74 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post

Not a credible rumor source. It would be more believable it if came from other sources.

From BGR, it is pure conjecture. And because it is from BGR, I am more inclined to believe that it is shameless pageview poppy****.

Agreed, this is total garbage, it'll never happen. The home button is used for much more than returning to the home screen, you also need the physical button to reset your phone when it hangs. Multitouch gestures can't replace that.
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post #75 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:17am
Makes total sense and that's why I never, ever buy a first gen Apple product.
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post #76 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJinTX View Post

I wonder if the elevator's in Steve's mansion have buttons, or if it is all touch? Oh wait, or voice control? Surely not...telekenisis? \

Steve Jobs lives in a regular bungalow. He is currently building his "dream house" but it's pretty much all one level.
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post #77 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by danuff View Post

This would suck, especially for persons with disabilities that have limited movement and use the HOME button quite often....

Exactly.

It's not a matter of whether the Home button is "liked," it's a central feature for accessibility by the blind and those with other disabilities. It's a key "accessible design" concept for a device to have a single button that restores it to the default state so that the handicapped can orient themselves. They know that by pressing that button they have quit and returned to the home screen and that everything will be where they expect it to be once they are there.

Every industrial designer should be aware of this, it's like "Industrial Design 101".

This is why the button will never be removed from the iPhone and iPad and why Google's Honeycomb tablet designers don't know sh*t about design (the buttons have all been removed from Google's tablet.)
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post #78 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by charlituna View Post

That button has uses other than just going to the home screen. The reboot already mentioned is one. Screen captures is another. Probably at least another that I can't think of.

Now I could see them moving the button from the bezel area, allowing that to be reduced, and putting it on the side.

That would the the option I'd prefer. They could still have the multi-touch option for quicker access so you don't need to shift the device in your hand to get to the home button. But I think a physical button is still desirable for many reasons.

Quote:
Originally Posted by fraklinc View Post

So if they remove the home button what would they do with the extra space, bigger screen on the iPhone maybe?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mgl323 View Post

A 4-inch screen iPhone anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jason98 View Post

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.

You are all about to get slammed by the UI police! That's what happens anytime someone espresses a desire for a smaller iPad.... "My God, you are an idiot, don't you realize that then Apple would have to create a whole new UI kit! That would totally ruin the UI experience. Apple is too incompetent to be able to pull that off. You are a fool."

Quote:
Originally Posted by IlikeAppel View Post

Not everyone has all 5 fingers. How would they access the home screen? I'm sure Apple will think of some elegant solution in future updates.

I was about to post the same thing. And not just missing a finger. Have you have jammed, sprained, or broken a finger and had it placed in a splint or taped to another finger for support? Even just having a band-aid on one finger could interfere with your operating your iPhone.
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post #79 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefly7475 View Post

Bullshit. What happens when an application locks up?

You get out a paper clip like in the old days of Macs!
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post #80 of 107
1/13/11 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post

Steve Jobs lives in a regular bungalow. He is currently building his "dream house" but it's pretty much all one level.

You and I should be a comedy team. You know, I make a funny or smartass comment, and then you chime in with your perfectly timed factoid that misses the point entirely. We would kill with this routine! Who knows, if we really hit it really big, we might even be booked to appear on Wake Up Westchester with Mike and Mary Beth.
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