Source: First iPhone without home button on Apple's roadmap, but not before 2017

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 77
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,311member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    Haha! Now who's the copycat! Haha! Oh wait, that would mean I would have to admit Samsung was copying Apple before...must rewrite history.

     

    Apple hasn't copied anything because that's just a fake picture someone did and this is the same old rumor we get every year.   Personally I hope Apple doesn't do it because it does look like a Samscum phone and I don't like the design.  I like the Home/TouchID/Siri button!!!

  • Reply 22 of 77
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jason98 View Post



    No Home button -> more screen estate -> smaller form factor!

    I've been waiting for this for many years. Seems like the tech is almost here.

    You meant Shorter? It doesn't mean "smaller" because it doesn't improve any usage reachability.

  • Reply 23 of 77

    2017 release would make it (assuming past history is predictor) the iPhone 7S which seems unlikely; the more likely scenario would be next year or 2018.

  • Reply 24 of 77
    I would have to stick to an older generation iPhone with a phisical home button because i will not but that !
  • Reply 25 of 77
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member

    ugh, i have such a love/hate with apple rumors.  This has been talked about for years. Part of me thinks this is in the works but will probably never make the light of day, but the other half has some history.

     

    There has been talk for years that when the first (Gen 1) iPhone was being developed, there was a known rift between Steve Jobs and Jonny Ive about the home button.  Ive never liked the home button, but Jobs insisted it had to be there.  Seems like now with Jobs gone, Ive might eventually get his way after all.

     

    The tech surrounding a home-button-less iOS device is there and being iterated on for years now.  Taptic feedback, Touch ID, etc. are building a solid foundation for further innovations.  However, that makes me a little sad because i think it would reduce the ease of use and accessibility.  As some have stated already, i see less tech-savvy users having a harder time interpreting gestures over a physical magic button, not to mention users who are physically impaired.  it could be argued that the sleep/wake button is sort of redundant and some functionality could be combined into that button as well.

     

    I was kind of concerned about the force touch trackpad with people who have a hard time with touches.  Mainly the elderly and physically challenged individuals.

     

    The "tap" to wake argument (i think) would be a less successful approach since it could cause for more accidental touches and create battery life issues in the pocket with such accidental touches. It has been known for the heat of my leg in the pants pocket to activate the screen if left on.

     

    It could be argued with the introduction of iOS 7, the ease of use and intuitive-ness of iOS device has already be slightly compromised.  That's bad news for new users.  My mom in particular, her first iOS device was an iPhone 6.  Seeing her learn the UI i could instantly see aspects in the flatter design that might have been easier for her to understand if they were slightly more skewomorphic.  We will just have to wait and see.  I trust apple to figure out a good solution but I also have my reservations based on these foundation-like advancements they've already introduced.  

  • Reply 26 of 77
    am8449am8449 Posts: 392member

    I see no great benefit from removing the home button.

     

    People love buttons. Everyone knows how to use one, you get sensory feedback from it, and pushing a button is satisfying (according to research).

     

    So I doubt that Apple would remove the home button for a few small benefits. Maybe if it was forced to in order to accommodate a new breakthrough technology.

  • Reply 27 of 77
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    according to a rumor that surfaced earlier Monday out of the Far East.

    wait, what? cant seem to recall any style guides (AP, Reuters, etc) that recommend referring to a country in Asia as "the Far East".
  • Reply 28 of 77
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member

    it isnt. the quote youre referring to is a radical design change, which indeed, dropping the home button on an iphone, would be.
  • Reply 29 of 77
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by am8449 View Post

     

    I see no great benefit from removing the home button.

     

    People love buttons. Everyone knows how to use one, you get sensory feedback from it, and pushing a button is satisfying (according to research).

     

    So I doubt that Apple would remove the home button for a few small benefits. Maybe if it was forced to in order to accommodate a new breakthrough technology.




    my guess on one possible advantage to removing the home button is in reducing the number of moving parts.  In most of my experiences with iOS devices, the home button seems to fail a lot.  If you read iMore at all, they have tons of DIY articles about fixing buttons, switches, etc. on the phone.  So my guess would be that the buttons seem to be in the majority of things that fail on the devices.  If you can reduce things that fail on the devices, then you can reduce the amount of warranty claims and reduce the amount of overhead in manufacturing and support.  The real question would be here, by removing the home button, how does it affect Apple's profit margins?

  • Reply 30 of 77
    jimh81jimh81 Posts: 14member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JBDragon View Post

     

    Everyone can recognize a iPhone because of the home button.  I hope it never goes away.


     

    Just like the click wheel makes the iPod recognizable?  Man, I hope they never get rid of the click wheel either...   ;)  /s

     

    Things change, and Apple finds new ways to do things in the UI that we swear make the product what it is.  And then things change...

  • Reply 31 of 77
    iaeeniaeen Posts: 588member
    am8449 wrote: »
    I see no great benefit from removing the home button.

    People love buttons. Everyone knows how to use one, you get sensory feedback from it, and pushing a button is satisfying (according to research).

    <span style="line-height:1.4em;">So I doubt that</span>
    <span style="line-height:1.4em;"> Apple would remove the home button for a few small benefits. Maybe if it</span>
    <span style="line-height:1.4em;"> was forced to in order to accommodate a new breakthrough technology.</span>

    Apple's haptic feedback is at the point where a person could use a virtual button and think it's real (and thus get the psychological satisfaction). The first time I used the new taptic trackpad I thought it was the old one until I realized the click on the top was way better than any mechanical trackpad could ever hope to be.
  • Reply 32 of 77
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,421member
    It will come to iPhone 7.
  • Reply 33 of 77
    waterrocketswaterrockets Posts: 1,231member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by iaeen View Post





    Apple's haptic feedback is at the point where a person could use a virtual button and think it's real (and thus get the psychological satisfaction). The first time I used the new taptic trackpad I thought it was the old one until I realized the click on the top was way better than any mechanical trackpad could ever hope to be.

     

    If electrovibration gets off the ground, things will get very interesting. We could end up with touch screens simulating Braille textures over the top of printed words. Keyboards would feel much more natural. And just wait until the porn industry gets this technology.

  • Reply 34 of 77
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    Apple is indeed working on a radical iPhone redesign that will ditch the home button...

     

    Digital Crown FTW!

    /s

  • Reply 35 of 77
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,833member
    fallenjt wrote: »
    Also, without the ports, microphone and speakers because those need space for hardware inserts.
    The ideal is apple has patents to shove everything behind the screen, So the portion of screen turns off when needed. As sensors/camera are that, microphone/ speaker will eventually not be needed, but they can be in the edge of bezel, so there are alternatives.
    jason98 wrote: »
    No Home button -> more screen estate -> smaller form factor!
    I've been waiting for this for many years. Seems like the tech is almost here.
    Yeah, probably 5.2 inch, 6 inch in same size devices as now, or a 4.4 in about the iPhone 5 size.
  • Reply 36 of 77
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member

    Very much hoping this to be BS, and that Apple will never ditch the Home Button, or bezels.

  • Reply 37 of 77
    thomprthompr Posts: 1,521member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by melgross View Post



    2017 could be the first year for this. Beside the time required to get his to actually work, that's the year for a new case, screen, etc.



    But whether they will do this is something else.

    Hmmm, seems to me that:

     

    2015 -> S model

    2016 -> New case, etc

    2017 -> S model

    2018 -> New case, etc

  • Reply 38 of 77
    nizzardnizzard Posts: 58member

    HOW WILL I TAKE SCREENSHOTS!?

  • Reply 39 of 77
    retrogustoretrogusto Posts: 1,111member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NIZZARD View Post

     

    HOW WILL I TAKE SCREENSHOTS!?




    That's why the watch needs a camera.

  • Reply 40 of 77
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,384member
    Can't force touch completely replace all home button functions? That would be pretty awesome I think. Just force touch anywhere to go home, hold a bit longer to activate Siri, etc.
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