The jury’s still out on whether the MacBook Pro’s new Touch Bar is a useful upgrade or a fancy gimmick. But according to recent rumors, Apple is already planning to bring similar functionality to this year’s iPhone 8.
To make this happen, the company would almost certainly have to drop Touch ID. Would a mini Touch Bar be worth the sacrifice, or would contextual shortcuts and buttons make iOS more complicated than it needs to be?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss whether a Touch Bar would be a useful addition to the iPhone!
Killian Bell: I think a mini Touch Bar would be an excellent addition to Apple’s next-generation iPhone. I’m a big fan of the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, and I think a similar feature would be even more useful on a smartphone.
Apple is one of a few handset makers still using a physical Home button. It’s good — especially with Touch ID — but there’s only so much you can do with it. A mini Touch Bar with virtual buttons could be infinitely more useful, with useful shortcuts adapted to the apps you’re using, notifications that don’t distract you from what you’re doing on the primary display, and plenty more.
You’ve said you don’t really see the point of the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro. Do you feel the same way about a similar feature on iPhone?
Luke Dormehl: I think the MacBook Pro was a massive missed opportunity for Apple and I’d be highly surprised if we see the Touch Bar hang around for the next five to 10 years of Apple laptops. It’s gimmicky. And I don’t think it offers a single use-case that can’t already be achieved just as easily using keyboard shortcuts or on-screen commands. Worse, unlike those two interface elements, a person using the Touch Bar constantly has to look away from what they’re doing to select the right button to press. An interface device that draws that kind of conscious attention to itself, rather than being seamless, is just clumsy.
That last problem would at least be addressed on the iPhone, since it would simply be an extension of the display. But I’m unsure of the uses for such a feature. Name one scenario this would be useful for that can’t already be incorporated into existing apps in a less obtrusive way.
Ultimately, though, my problem with it is only if Apple ditches the use of a fingerprint sensor for a Touch Bar. I don’t think that will happen, but when we spoke earlier this week about the idea that Apple could do away with Touch ID (which I said would be terrible), you seemed to think it was fine — and that it could easily be replaced by the rumored iris-scanning tools.
Killian: I disagree completely. Developers have been scrambling to make their apps Touch Bar-compatible, which in turn makes the feature even more useful. It’s here to stay, and I have no doubt it will eventually make its way into other Apple laptops like the 12-inch MacBook, as well as a future version of the Magic Keyboard.
With the iPhone, a Touch Bar could be used for all manner of things. Just like on the MacBook, it could provide handy shortcuts that don’t clutter the primary display, and additional controls that can’t be squeezed into a standard interface. It could be used to display special characters and emoji while typing, so you don’t have to keep switching keyboards. And just think how useful it would be in games; developers could use it for controls in platformers and runners so that our hands don’t get in the way of the action while we’re playing.
As for the removal of the Home button, I’m sure Apple will have a suitable solution for that. I don’t think it would think about taking away Touch ID without providing another seamless security option — whether that’s an iris scanner, lasers that recognize your face, or a fingerprint reader embedded beneath the glass.
Luke: So you’re essentially saying that Apple gets rid of its iconic Home button, allowing it to expand the amount of screen real estate you have at your disposal, so it can fill the space with extra virtual buttons? No thanks.
Killian: I’m glad your opinion will have zero influence on what Apple decides to do with the iPhone 8. You don’t think a mini Touch Bar should come to iPhone, but you can’t explain to me why it would be a terrible idea. It seems like you don’t have an argument here — just some kind of personal vendetta against the whole idea of the Touch Bar for no apparent reason.
Let’s assume Apple can embed a fingerprint reader beneath the glass somewhere. Why shouldn’t it ditch the physical home button that has hardly any flexibility in favor of virtual buttons that can be adapted to your apps?
Luke: Ha! I’d hardly call it a vendetta. I don’t understand what it would add that would have a positive impact on the iPhone user experience. If Apple can find a way to embed a fingerprint sensor under the glass on the iPhone, I’m all for it. Personally I preferred the physical Home button before Apple decided to replace it with a haptic feedback button for the newer iPhones but I understand why it did it from a repairability perspective.
My issue is the exact problem that Steve Jobs highlighted with physical keyboards on smartphones back when the iPhone debuted: they’re there all the time whether you need them or not. If Apple is going to make a big feature of the Touch Bar it would have to be an omnipresent part of the display. Why? The kind of apps which do so well on iOS simply don’t have any need of controls that are there all the time. As I mentioned, the upshot would be that Apple expands the size of the iPhone display (without necessarily having to increase the physical size of the device, which is a good thing) and then adds in a confusing extra level of controls that no-one asked for.
I’m genuinely confused as to what good you see coming from this!
Killian: You’re totally contradicting yourself here. As you rightly point out, iOS apps don’t need a standard set of controls that are there all the time. That’s exactly why a physical Home button that can only offer a small number of functions is wasting space. A mini Touch Bar could display controls that adapt to what you’re doing — just like Jobs wanted when he chose a touch screen over a physical keyboard for the iPhone.
I’ve already mentioned some of the things Apple and developers could do that would make a mini Touch Bar useful — and they’re all completely valid examples that could improve the user experience on iPhone. To suggest that these functions and shortcuts might confuse people is pretty insulting to iPhone users. Why would they be any more confusing than the virtual buttons we’re already using in iOS apps?
And no one asked for it? Have you seen how excited people are getting over this rumor?
Luke: Of course it’s not a contradiction. My point is very simple: that expanding the screen real estate is a good thing, but that nullifying that with a line of “always there” shortcuts is pointless. It’s fixing a problem that didn’t exist. People are going to talk about any new rumor which changes the look of the iPhone, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. I have yet to hear anyone raving (or, to be honest, even talking) about the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar as a game changer, and I can’t see that adding an equivalent to the iPhone — where space is far more at a premium — is going to be a good move either.
But let’s turn this one over to readers. Would you like to see Apple scrap the physical Home button for a larger display and Touch Bar? Leave your comments below. And have a great weekend.
Friday Night Fights is a series of weekly death matches between two no-mercy brawlers who will fight to the death — or at least agree to disagree — about which is better: Apple or Google, iOS or Android?
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
20 responses to “Should Apple give iPhone 8 a mini Touch Bar? [Friday Night Fights]”
Luke, I must respectfully insist that you make no sense here. You say one minute that you would be fine with Apple removing the home button if they could incorporate Touch ID into the screen (I agree with this, and Apple has already patented this technology). The next line you say that removing an always there home button (singular) for additional always there controls (plural) is a bad idea, when you have it wrong, after contradicting yourself even: The controls would change depending on the app hypothetically, or there would be maybe 2 buttons per app in addition to the home button in the Touch Bar/Function Area. I’m personally all for a smaller form factor with a slightly-larger-than-the-iPhone 7-screen.
Plus, Apple JUST put Touch ID on the MacBook Pro, I don’t think it’s leaving any time in the foreseeable future.
Luke’s right and his point is valid – removing the button and using the space to expand screen estate, using it whether to show more app space, game space, movie space, OR extra controls/buttons when needed, is much better than showing extra (changable/virtual) controls ther ALL of the time! Imagine watching a movie on iphone and having extra touchbar present with controlls present all of the time, instead smartly using it to show larger movie or game screen. Killan’s rethoric resembles those of people defending the phisical keyboard, lol
But that’s also how you could defend a home button, but that’s a lot of wasted bezel. The thing is, a lot of games and videos and other content formats are optimized for 16:9, And on the hypothetical iPhone 8 super tall screen, that would leave black bars on the sides until developers update, or you could put smart controls on the sides, making the UI cleaner. I stick with Killan.
If the extra space becomes part of the screen – it can be expanded app space OR standardised control bar whatever devs choose to include; making it control bar only – it can be just that and nothing else. And you are limited having it there all the time, which makes no sense. Home button already “went away” sort of on current model, and haptic feedback helps making it a virtual one as part of that control space when and where needed. Hope that makes sense :)
What you and others don’t understand is that you do not put screen into rounded corners. I’m not sure what your disconnect is with thinking about this. Even assuming you still wanted screen in rounded corners, which would look absolutely terrible, then you are asserting that you want to watch movies with screen in rounded corners. Unfortunately for you, if you watched any movie ever created from now until the end of human existence on a curved corner screen, then you would be losing content.
It’s very simple: when you are watching a video, the bottom bar will be off pixels and you will see absolutely nothing there. The main display area will show the movie in its correct format without you losing any content.
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The touch bar is unnecessary on my MacBook Pro, and I can’t imagine needing it on my iPhone. Apple should focus on stuff that makes a real difference: A faster processor, a sharper camera and display and more storage.
1. Faster processor? Are you serious? The A10 Fusion chip is literally the fastest mobile processor available.
2. A sharper camera. iPhone cameras are already top-notch, the only thing that could possibly be improved is resolution a little, but the cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus are both 12MP, pretty good.
3. Display, Apple’s displays are lower res but still pretty friggin dope compared to other smartphones. Some prefer Apple’s LCD to even Google’s AMOLED.
4. More storage. There is already a 256GB version of the iPhone, I’m not sure how much more storage you would need…
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A home button is always needed, a smaller screen I guess means they can make they can make it from sapphire. As to any other utility, I’m not sure. There are a few things that irritate me about the OS now, particularly too many things reacting to swipe from top/bottom meaning hitting the keyboard or bringing in notifications when you want to do something on Music….
The home button will always be, in the bottom of the iPhone. It will now be a part of this function bar.
As for the reactions to the OS I agree those are annoying and do happen. I believe OLED may help with that because I think it is better at touch sensitivity at the edges of the display.
Touch Bar is a horrible idea Apple believes is great. Kill it before it multiplies.
Luke is simply not imaginative or doesn’t care to think.
There are numerous reasons why this is not only a good thing to do, but unconscionable not to. Luke apparently believes that Apple should place display into rounded corners. This, like others have considered, is completely idiotic. You would never place display that is on in rounded corners as that makes the display rounded, which is obviously not conducive to any media or content viewing. It would also look absolutely horrific. Knowing this fact, you then quickly understand that obviously in order to use the most amount of the front face of the iPhone as you can, you would use that display as a black bezel which also acts as a dynamic display. This enables the display in the rounded corners to remain off pixels, and use the remainder as useful contextual or active controls.
Now, just for a few things that you could do with this area:
•Volume now displays in a vertical line in this area when watching a video and holding the phone in landscape. This allows the volume to no longer cover content unnecessarily.
•When playing a game in landscape, a few controls can be off the main display and in this area such that you are covering less of the content with your finger.
•When taking a picture in the camera app, you can have controls off the main display allowing you to see more of what you are taking a picture of.
And on and on.
Thanks for the considered response. :)
I was responding to a Ming-Chi Kuo report from earlier in the week about the removal of a Touch ID in favor of a Touch Bar. I don’t think removing said Touch ID is a good idea, and nor do I think Apple will actually ditch it completely. If you look at the way Apple introduces new interface elements they, unlike their removal of ports, introduce them gradually. If iris scanning or similar is introduced, I think it will be there to augment — not replace — Touch ID.
And I think putting a display onto a rounded corner would, as you and others have pointed out, be terrible.
My main point is that the Touch Bar performs no useful function that can’t already be carried out in other ways. And that grafting that onto the iPhone changes nothing.
I know the report you were deriving your info from, and everyone else has been talking about this too. The thing is, I don’t believe for a second that is true. See I fully believe Kuo is correct in basically everything about the iPhone from a design standpoint, but the replacement or supplementing of Touch ID I do not believe, at all. There is no chance Apple is doing that. Firstly, Touch ID as Apple last stated, which may have greatly improved by now, is 1 in 50,000 chance of recognition of a false fingerprint. This is easily satisfactorily secure for 99.9% of iPhone users, and there is absolutely no reason to even supplement this with another methodology. Nor would replacing it go over well, lest people forget Apple built Apple Pay on Touch ID. Do people actually think they’re going to try to teach an entirely new methodology for unlocking? Hell no.
What I believe is that there is facial recognition so to speak, but I believe this will come to the rear of the iPhone in a new sensor next to the cameras. A 3D infrared laser scanning sensor which has incredible implications for numerous things, mainly AR. I think it would also provide near instant auto-focus and far superior Bokeh. I believe the facial recognition aspect will primarily be for photo categorization and also adding AR app filters.
I agree that no matter what is placed on the touch bar at the bottom, it could be placed on the main display. The thing is, which you agree with, you wouldn’t put display in rounded corners and therefore if you say just put what’s in the Touch bar on the main display, then the bottom of the iPhone remains a worthless black bezel indefinitely. However, if you instead use that to add something useful to the capabilities of the UI or apps or even if you take some UI that ordinarily covers content on the display and move it down there, then you are gaining screen real estate essentially.
I also believe the display will come above the rounded corners on the top of the iPhone and I thought about what you could put there and since you again wouldn’t put the main display into rounded corners, the immediate idea would be to move the status bar to perpetually rest above the main display area because it could sit on a black background wherein the curved corners would obviously be off pixels and the status bar can rest between them. And again I think this just gives you that much more screen real estate by pushing typical perpetual UI off the main display area so that you can use as much as possible.
It already is a screen….
“It already is a screen….” this is the shortest sentence and one of the reasonable things I read here. Touch bar at the iPhone is one of the dumbest ideas ever. By the way, HTC did that…
MacBook Pro touch bar is a game changer!!!! I absolutely love it and it has streamlined my work flow, I use it everyday!!