Apple is again rumored to be on track to remove the iconic physical home button from its flagship mobile product, the iPhone, when a next-generation version of the device launches next year.
Home button-less iPhone concept Martin Hajek.
Mentioned as part of Bloomberg's report on Apple's supposed decision to include FeliCa tap-to-pay support in an upcoming iPhone, the home button-less smartphone to see release next year as part of a dramatic redesign.
The report jibes with information from ÌÇÐÄVlog's own sources, who two years ago said removing the home button from iPhone is a longterm goal for Apple that could happen .
Rumors that Apple was on the verge of removing the home button from its mobile lineup date back to . It was plausible that the component could be replaced by a software analog -- which would free up precious space for a larger display -- until the company introduced Touch ID in 2013. Touch ID is completely integrated into Apple's home button design, from the steel actuator ring to the fingerprint sensor seated beneath a sapphire glass cover.
More recently, reports claim this year's iPhone refresh will feature a solid-state pressure-sensitive "" module. While not a complete button replacement, utilization of such a component would be a step toward realizing that goal.
Apple is unlikely to ditch Touch ID -- or the functionality of a home button -- meaning the company must somehow integrate the technology directly into iPhone's display. Rumblings from the Far East last year indicated that Apple was in the touch and display driver single-chip solutions that would allow for a fingerprint sensor to be embedded in the handset's display.
Apple normally redesigns iPhone every two year, though this year's release to follow tradition. Instead, the so-called "iPhone 7" is rumored to look largely similar to current iPhone 6-series handsets, with upgraded internals like an upgraded camera -- dual camera system for the 5.5-inch model -- headlining the list of improvements.
The 2017 model, however, is said to bring a design with dual curved glass panels and an OLED display. Explaining the off-year cycle, a New York Times report claimed Apple was waiting on certain advanced technology to mature before committing to a redesign. It could be that a screen-integrated virtual home button was one of the systems holding up development.