An unverified report claims that Apple is planning to remove the home button on the iPad and iPhone as early as later this year, the company opting towards multitouch gestures to return to the home screen.
According to Boy Genius Report, an anonymous source has claimed that Apple is already testing iPads and iPhones without home buttons on its Cupertino, Calif., campus. However, since the report itself admits the information is “pretty wild,” readers should take it with a grain of salt.
“We are told that Apple, at some point in time, will remove the home button from the iPad’s design. Instead of button taps, you will use new multitouch gestures to navigate to the home screen and also to launch the app switcher,” the report predicted.
“It’s possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year,” wrote author Jonathan S. Geller.
The report also cites new multitouch gestures from a beta version of iOS 4.3 released Wednesday that enable a 5-finger pinch gesture for accessing the home screen. Other gestures new to the beta include a swipe up to reveal the multitasking tray and a swipe left or right to switch between open applications.
Apple’s iLife and photo-taking application Photo Booth could also make their way onto the next iPad, the report speculated.
Right now it’s just a rumor, though anything’s possible.
Stay tuned for more information as we get it.
2 replies on “Rumor: Apple may remove “Home” button from future generations of iOS devices”
Not only in Mr Allen’s situation, what about elderly and handicapped without the digital dexterity to perform multi-touch gestures with out difficulty and frustration. And I’m sure I’ll be able to teach my 1 year old grandchildren multi touch so they can learn using my preschool learning apps yes they will grow up but others will appear on the sceen.
“…5-finger pinch gesture….” Just a thought — I have a friend who lost multiple fingers in an accident — I wonder if Apple will make alternative software-based or gesture-based solutions available for people like him?