Apple's getting closer to killing the iPhone home button

Apple's getting closer to ditching the iPhone home button

The home button on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is iconic, it's instantly recognizable and the version on Apple's latest devices boast Touch ID integration - but its days are numbered.

That's if you believe the latest buzz coming out of Taiwan, where Digitimes sources have said the Cupertino firm is working on a way to get rid of the home button.

It claims Apple is in the midst of developing touch and display divers in one single chip solution which also feature an integrated fingerprint scanner, specifically for future iPhones.

No button, no bezel

The report goes on to claim this would see the removal of the home button on the iPhone (and we assume the iPad too), allowing Apple to reduce the bezel size above and below the display giving you more screen and less filler.

There's no word on when this technology may be ready to be put into an iPhone, but it's highly unlikely we'll see it in this year's iPhone 6S.

These are just rumors, so don't get too excited about a bezel-less and buttonless iPhone 7 - we're probably years off the technology making its way into our handsets, if at all.

Does a home button-free iPhone sound good to you? Let us know your feelings in the comments section below.

Via Apple Insider

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.