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The iPhone home button is reportedly about to undergo a massive change

It will feel like home.

 

AJ Dellinger

Tech

Posted on Aug 8, 2016   Updated on May 26, 2021, 7:34 am CDT

A new iPhone is expected to arrive in September, but it might not be as familiar a device as many are expecting. According to reports from Bloomberg, the newest version of Apple’s handset is rumored to sport considerable changes, including a pressure-sensitive home button.

Sources speaking to Bloomberg claim that a re-engineered version of the home button that responds to touch in different ways will appear on the front of the newest iPhone. Instead of a physical click when pressed in, the button will vibrate.

It will also allow for pressure-sensitive reactions, often referred to as haptic feedback. The mechanism would be similar to the touch interaction that was added to the trackpad in the latest version of the MacBook, released earlier this year. 

Along with the addition of the updated and more touch-sensitive home button, the new iPhone will also reportedly do away with the headphone jack. This has been a long rumored change expected to appear in the iPhone, but many have been skeptical that Apple would make the tweak.

According to the report from Bloomberg, the decision to ditch the headphone jack would be counteracted by the growing prominence of wireless, bluetooth headphones. Users will also be able to connect via the charging port on the device.

A new camera is also expected to appear on the device. While it’s typical for a new iPhone model to feature an improved camera, reports indicate the new iPhone will use a dual camera system.

The sensors will supposedly work together by capturing photos simultaneously and merging the images to create an improved final product. The system is said to improve photo quality in low-light environments and to allow for improved zoom.

Gossip always tends to swirl as the arrival of a new iPhone ticks ever closer, but the reported changes to the device in Bloomberg come from Mark Gurman, a new addition to the publication and a reliable source for Apple reporting from his time at 9to5Mac

H/T The Verge

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*First Published: Aug 8, 2016, 4:01 pm CDT