iOS 11 Dock and Gesture Controls to Replace 'iPhone 8' Home Button Entirely

[orloffm]

The thing is that the button always works reliably while all their interface swipes are laggy and become unusable under heavy load, in battery saving mode and as usual, in a few years after they stop optimizing for the old hardware.

[dx034]

I'm more worried about swipe recognition. It regularly happens to me that I want to swipe up the control centre and accidentally press a button in the app instead. Esp if screen or my finger are a bit wet. The home button always works.

[limeblack]

I have an iPhone 4(not as my main device) and the home button is not very responsive on the newest OS. Your point is valid but in my experience the device is laggy when you update even when it has a home button.

[jclardy]

That is still decided on a software level. The home button on my iPhone has become unresponsive before, even being a physical button. As long as the swipe gesture and "open homescreen" actions are given higher priority I don't think that should be an issue.

[TekMol]

But isn't that an implementation detail?

I would assume that if they want, they can assign a non-changeable interrupt to the swipe recommendation call.

[limeblack]

A bezel-less and home button-less iPhone sounds cool but but what are they going to do with all the functionality the home button delivers? It does currently does the following

1. Home Button(Obviously) 2. Access Siri 3. Music App Controls—When the phone is locked 4. Accessibility Controls 5. Dismiss Control Center 6. Touch ID 7. Reachability

[intoverflow2]

I'm sure they can be replaced with "Gesture and Swipe Soup"

Hey at least we'll have a (mostly) bezel-less display which is a win to someone at Apple for some reason.

[chmars]

8. Screenshot.

[joezydeco]

9. Hard Reboot

10. DFU mode

[intoverflow2]

Worried they're too busy chasing the industrial design dream of an entire screen surface that usability and sensibility is being thrown out of the window.

Normally I'd have faith but honestly things are getting weird over there.

[dx034]

Let's see what they do about the iPhone SE. Its success already appears to be an issue for Apple (lower margins) and a radical redesign of the flagship version could steer more people towards the SE (esp if it receives an update). Wouldn't be surprised if they discontinue the SE.

[jbob2000]

I remember reading that the reason for getting rid of the home button is that certain cultures around the world strictly do not use it, out of fear that it might break and require repairs. Instead, they use the on-screen accessibility button to replace the features of the home button.

The fear of using the home button has gotten so bad that even store employees are recommending to use the accessibility button and advise against pressing the hardware switch.

[mikeash]

They already got rid of the actual physical switch in the iPhone 7. It's now a touch and pressure sensitive area that uses the vibrator to make it feel like it clicks.

[jdalgetty]

I worked in an office made up of mostly Indian people and I can confirm they used the on-screen accessibility button instead of the physical button.

[arrty88]

My mechanical home button always broke around the 20 month mark... combined with the shrinking battery life it always gave me a reason to upgrade. Now with the 7's non mechanical button and armed with a battery pack, i may never be forced to upgrade due to wear and tear.

[Spivak]

This fear is well founded. Assuming that a person doesn't accidentally crack their screen the first thing to break on an iPhone is the home button. Long time heavy users of iPhones almost always have to resort to the accessibility buttons.

[usaphp]

That cutout on the front would be so non appleesque. I a sure I'll get used to it, but it seem like they should have found a better way to put it. I still can't stand that android watch that had a black bar on top or seomthing

[Gaelan]

Remember the camera bump?

[mercer]

Perhaps part of the reason is to make the iPhone look distinctive again?

[freehunter]

Hmm, I'm not sure about the dock. I have iOS 11 on my iPhone 7 Plus and my 10" iPad, and I do like the dock on my iPad, but it's an iPad-only feature. I'm not convinced they'd exclude the "Plus" size phones from the dock but include it on an iPad and the iPhone 8.

I'm willing to be proven wrong, but I would expect that if the dock was coming to iPhones, it'd be in the beta for current large iPhones. As of right now, it's an iPad-only feature.

[TekMol]

Seems like a logical progression. Why waste screen estate if you don't have to.

[hitgeek]

I hope this is not the case.

I love the elegant simplicity of the home button.

this part of the original iphone launch is one of my favorites:

"And on the front, there’s only one button down there. We call it the home button. Takes you home from wherever you are."

[amrrs]

I think everytime there's a change being introduced fear and uncertainty have clouded initially but eventually we've gotten used it.

* New Flat Icons on iOS as opposed to the earlier skeuomorphic ones

* FB Messenger

* Snapchatish features on FB

* Windows 10

[dx034]

None of those radically changed the way you use it. Windows 10 changes many features but most users only use the browser anyway (plus Office at work).

[zimpenfish]

Do we really think that on their flagship phone, they're going to remove TouchID and thus the possibility of Apple Pay? I can't see it making sense for them.

[colinramsay]

No. The main theory is that the sensors for face detection will be used for ID purposes since they couldn't get TouchID working _through_ the screen.

[andy_ppp]

Pay with your face probably?

[arnvald]

Some articles suggested that Apple tries to embed scanner in the screen, and if they don't manage to do it, it'll be placed on the power button instead. Of course these are just rumours

[weeducation]

Does removing the home button have to mean removing TouchID?

[sjburt]

The rumor is that the sensor is on the back.

[fokinsean]

I've heard rumors that the scanner will be on the back of the phone.

[odammit]

I really hope they embrace "shake to undo" or as I like to call it "break to undo".

That's such an absurd feature.