iPad’s Orientation Lock Switch Repurposed To Mute In iOS 4.2

John Brownlee ()

iPad’s Orientation Lock Switch Repurposed To Mute In iOS .jpg

There’s an interesting change in the way iOS 4.2 handles orientation lock on the iPad… one that indicates a curious design backpedal on the part of Cupertino.

Previously, orientation lock on the iPad was handled with a physical hardware switch on the side of the device, but in iOS 4.2, it has been repurposed as a physical “Mute” button, with the orientation lock achieved the same way it is on the iPhone 4 or iPod Touch under iOS 4: through the multitasking tray.

It’s a minor but significant change that, I suspect, portends the elimination of the mute/screen orientation button on the second-generation iPad. For famously minimal and streamlined Apple, a physical mute button doesn’t make a lot of sense on an iOS device that isn’t a phone.

DON'T MISS
How To Enable Orientation Lock On Your iOS Devices [iOS Tip]

[via MacRumors]

9 comments »

About the author

John BrownleeJohn Brownlee is news editor here at Cult of Mac, and has also written about a lot of things for a lot of different places, including Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo, Kotaku, Lifehacker, AMC, Geek and the Consumerist. He lives in Cambridge with his charming inamorata and a tiny budgerigar punningly christened after Nabokov's most famous pervert. You can follow him here on Twitter.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by .

Posted in iPad, News | Tagged: , , , , , |

  • http://www.cotlb.com Luke

    Unless it’s anticipating the integration of cameras and FaceTime….

  • http://tekunoloji.com Ballmer Schmidt Jobs

    I don’t like this. There should be a setting option for what that button can do. I can’t tell you how many times I use that lock button on iPad and wish it was real on my iPhone 4. I don’t want to double tap and slide. Takes longer than to flip the switch.

  • http://abmann.net ABMann

    I am sad if this is released. I use the orientation lock switch all the time and rather like the hold mute option on the volume rocker as is. You’re right, mute switch is much less useful on the iPad.

  • tcb

    i dont believe it is about the functionality of a mute switch. it is more about consistency between iPad and iPhone

  • Marc in Chicago

    If the mute switch works while the iPad is sleeping, then it will be a welcome change in my book. I don’t like the fact that currently you have to wake the iPad from sleep to mute it; it’s a bit of a hassle.

  • RobbieP

    People think Steve! Think streaming tv/video/utube etc. Orientation is in the back seat to “mute” which is the way apple is going. Orientation = static//// mute= video. Nuff said.

  • Jailbreaker

    I’ll keep my orientation lock thanks. Don’t you just hold volume down for a second to mute anyway?

  • Ed Harris

    In a meeting with an iPad, when I get a facebook update or a twitter puch notificaton, or a new email. Yup, I’d prefer i knew it was muted with a switch. I thing it should have been that way from the start – AND have included a rotaton lock AS WELL. Oh, and howabout springboard able to do landscape mode on iPhone too?

  • Tsrlehto

     It can be changed in the general settings. The slide lock can be set for either Mute, or Lock Rotation.