iPhone 7 Could Have Touch-Sensitive Home Button as Waterproof and Dustproof Rumors Persist

by

Less than five months before Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, supply chain rumors continue to suggest that the next-generation smartphones will be both fully waterproof and dustproof.

Apple is also reportedly testing a touch-sensitive home button for its upcoming flagship handset, possibly meaning the iPhone 7 could have a flush home button, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes (via I4U News).

iphone7mockupantennabands

iPhone 7 mockup with a traditional home button

DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, but at least three previous reports have claimed the iPhone 7 will be waterproof over the past seven months, and dustproofing would be inherently plausible. Comparatively, the iPhone 6s is surprisingly water resistant, but not entirely waterproof.

In September, a source on Chinese microblogging service Weibo said the iPhone 7 will have a strengthened, waterproof frame, backed up by a Fast Company report that also claimed the device will be thinner than the iPhone 6s. Rumors suggest the iPhone 7 could be as thin as 6.1mm like the iPod touch.

Rumors surrounding the home button on future iPhones are less consistent. Back in June 2015, a report claimed that Apple was looking to develop new display technology with "integrated fingerprint sensors," potentially allowing for the company to eventually do away with the iconic home button on iPhones.

Liquidmetal-Home
Last month, Apple was granted a patent for a pressure-sensitive Liquidmetal home button that deforms slightly when pressed, but returns to its normal shape when the user removes their finger or thumb. Apple has annually renewed its exclusive rights to use the malleable alloy since 2010, but has yet to do so in a major way.

Last week, Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz speculated that Apple will skip its traditional "S" upgrade cycle next year and introduce the iPhone 8 without a physical home button. Apple's single-chip solution for touchscreen and display drivers could allow for a Touch ID-enabled screen, eliminating the need for a separate home button.

iPhone 7 and/or iPhone 7 Plus models are also rumored to feature a Smart Connector, dual-lens cameras, no 3.5mm headphone jack, repositioned antenna bands, stereo speakers, wireless charging, and a larger battery, but Apple may hold off on some features until its next iPhone with OLED in 2017.

Tag: DigiTimes
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

ATT Banner

Some AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Customers Report Issues With Calls [Update: Fixed]

Tuesday June 4, 2024 10:51 am PDT by
There appears to be an outage with at least one U.S. cellular carrier, with customers unable to place or receive calls. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon customers have been complaining about the issue on social networks, and there are also reports of outages on the Down Detector website. According to a statement from AT&T, the outage is affecting calls between carriers in the United States. All...
Read Full Article • 41 comments
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

Gurman: No Hardware at WWDC, Next Apple TV No Longer Coming Soon

Sunday June 2, 2024 6:59 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman does not expect Apple to announce any new hardware during its WWDC 2024 keynote on June 10. "There's no hardware slated to be announced at WWDC, unless Apple unexpectedly previews a new device launching later (to be clear: I don't expect that)," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. Notably, Gurman now says a new Apple TV model "isn't imminent," despite...
Read Full Article • 277 comments
maxresdefault

Sonos Ace Headphones vs. AirPods Max

Monday June 3, 2024 6:01 am PDT by
Sonos in May decided to get into the headphone market with the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones. The $449 Sonos Ace headphones have some enticing design elements and features you won't see in Apple's headphones, so we thought we'd compare them to the $549 AirPods Max to see which is ultimately better. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. In terms of design, both the...
Read Full Article • 78 comments
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18: These iPhones Likely Won't Support Some AI Features

Tuesday June 4, 2024 5:04 am PDT by
Apple is planning a major AI overhaul in iOS 18, but some new features are unlikely to work on older iPhones, even if they do appear on the new operating system's device compatibility list. Apple's initial AI roadmap for iOS 18 is said to come in two parts: Basic AI features that will be processed on-device, and more advanced capabilities that will require communication with Apple's servers. ...
Read Full Article • 221 comments
iPhone 16 Pro Front Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Could Break Record for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone

Monday June 3, 2024 2:23 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the screen border thinness of even its latest iPhone 15 Pro devices. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. According to multiple sources, despite minimal design changes, both iPhone 16 Pro models will increase...
Read Full Article • 140 comments

Top Rated Comments

thisisnotmyname Avatar
thisisnotmyname
106 months ago
I like the physical home button, I've never been a fan of those capacitive buttons on android phones.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
igorsky Avatar
igorsky
106 months ago
This news is irrelevant unless corroborated by the great analyst Ming Chi-Kuo. Then, and only then, will I believe it.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
x-evil-x Avatar
x-evil-x
106 months ago
Stale and predictable... or iconic? There's a reason that car manufacturers have kept the same grille design for decades. Can you imagine a BMW without the kidneys?
But car analogies don't work with phones. You hold a phone and overall footprint matters. Getting rid of the top and bottom overall wasted space will make a much smaller and compact device. Apple needs to do something to stay up to date and iPhones are starting to look dated. Bezels galore.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1Zach1 Avatar
1Zach1
106 months ago


iPhone 7 and/or iPhone 7 Plus models are also rumored to feature a Smart Connector ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/13/iphone-7-smart-connector-no-stereo-speaker/'), dual-lens cameras ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/04/dual-cameras-exclusive-to-iphone-7-plus-kgi/'), no 3.5mm headphone jack ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/11/27/iphone-7-no-3-5mm-headphone-jack-lightning/'), repositioned antenna bands ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/02/iphone-7-flush-camera-no-bands/'), stereo speakers ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/19/suppliers-prepare-iphone-7-production/'), wireless charging ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/07/iphone-7-thinner-waterproof-no-headphone-jack/'), and a larger battery ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/18/iphone-7-alleged-battery-images/'),.
All of that and the removal of the home button to decrease the overall size of the device is a winner in my book, but it looks like I'll be keeping my 6 until the iPhone 8 comes out.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacHiavelli Avatar
MacHiavelli
106 months ago
For a huge, cash-rich company, Apple seems to be doing very little in terms of innovation, design, and maximising the potential and delivery of its products, or it is doing a heck of a lot behind the scenes.

Has Apple become a lazy, rudderless, commonplace producer of lamely fashionable tat, or is it going to surprise us with a move that will let it and technology take a giant leap forwards?

All this parsimonious mediocrity is so underwhelming.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacHiavelli Avatar
MacHiavelli
106 months ago
They're making a car, dude. Chill.
True. But the problem there is that a car will take them into niche territory: fewer people can afford to buy cars, the buyers tend to be older, and the market is heavily fragmented.

Apple's strength in connecting with people came through the iPod: relatively cheap, accessible to people across the social and financial board, and great at hooking the younger generation into the Apple family.

By all means, make a car (or make something better than what we think of as a car today), but such a product risks diluting Apple's appeal and losing it the groundswell of support that it enjoys today with people across the planet.

Increasingly finding that people are falling out of love with Apple: messy product lines, glib designs and accessories, and underwhelming miserly products. No longer cutting edge and desirable, but achingly dull and fashionably risible.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments