Apple’s latest iPhones could be its last with physical home buttons. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the iPhone 7 series will instead feature a new pressure-sensitive home button that uses Apple’s Force Touch technology.
They might look awfully familiar, but this year’s iPhone upgrades will actually bring lots of big changes. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that we can look forward to better photos, improved home buttons, and more.
According to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the iPhone 7’s home button will work in much the same way as Apple’s latest MacBook trackpads. When you press it, it will feel like it’s clicking, but that sensation will be generated by a haptic feedback engine.
In addition to this new home button, the larger iPhone 7 Plus will deliver a new dual-lens camera that takes brighter and more detailed photos.
“Both sensors, which each capture color differently, simultaneously take a picture, and the device produces a single, merged photograph,” the report adds. “The dual system sharpens photos taken in low-light environments, the person said.”
This new camera also allows users to zoom into their subject without loosing so much clarity. However, it will be exclusive to the larger iPhone; the smaller iPhone 7 won’t get it, but it will get a larger lens instead.
Gurman also confirms that the iPhone 7 series will indeed ship without a headphone jack. Users will either have to use wireless headsets with Bluetooth, or buy new headphones with Lightning connectors. It’s still unclear if Apple will give us an adapter or new Lightning-equipped EarPods.
The good news is, by doing away with the headphone jack, Apple will give the iPhone an additional speaker that will make it louder.
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.
6 responses to “iPhone 7 to feature pressure-sensitive home button”
Hmm… Dual cameras …. HTC ? LG? Huawei? Heck … Xolo?
Capacitive home button …. OnePlus 2 & 3?
Nevermind, it’s Apple so their’s must be the world first right? Right?…
OnePlus’ home button is not pressure sensitive, nor does it feature haptics of the type being discussed here. It’s also far from the first phone to feature a capacitive button.
Hmm.. Smartphone ….? Apple?
All those companies you mentioned owe their existence to Apple, so gtfoh and go crawl into your Android hole.
Haha.. Seriously? So Samsung Shipbuilding business, Huawei IT Infrastructure business or LG Home Appliances business all owe their existence to Apple?
Step out of the walled garden. The world is bigger than you think.
so, only 3 things so far:
1, better camera: only for the bigger model, I don’t want that big 5.5 phone
2. new home button: I don’t care
3. louder speakers at the bottom: I don’t see videos in Portrait, nor want to listen to music via the phone speakers. I use headsets or external speakers.
so, a lot of big changes? I don’t see any that I care for.
I better wait for the 10 anniversary iphone next year.