Exclusive: Apple will remove home button on next iPad and iPhone; Photo Booth and iLife coming?

By on Jan 12, 2011 at 10:19 PM
Breaking January 12, 2011

We just got some pretty wild information from one of our Apple sources and while it’s hard to believe at first, it does make sense. We have exclusively been told that the reason Apple just added multitouch gestures for the iPad in the latest iOS 4.3 beta is because the iPad will be losing the home button. Yes, 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.

That’s not all, however. In addition to the home button disappearing from the iPad, we’re told that this change will make its way over to the iPhone as well. Our source said Apple employees are already testing iPads and iPhones with no home buttons on the Apple campus, and it’s possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year.

Additionally, we’re told Apple’s popular photo-taking application, Photo Booth, will be appearing on the next iPad. It’s also very possible that we’ll see iLife apps for iOS unveiled around the iPad 2 release as well.

It has been said that Steve Jobs didn’t want any physical buttons on the original iPhone at first, and it looks like he may soon get his wish.

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  • Whitendn21

    crap

  • http://twitter.com/maverick262 Scott

    That’s funny, I’ve been using gestures on my Android phones for a few months now. Yes, that includes straight from the lock screen gestures. CyanogenMOD FTW!

  • moosebump

    WOW! I’ve been holding off on buying an iPad because I hate physical buttons. in fact i have a physical button phobia and i have nightmares about physical buttons oozing greasy sweat.

    who cares?

  • http://twitter.com/lacoste894 anthony b

    it looks so ugly now with out the home screen button

  • JNM

    I have really grown to like the home button on my iPad. I have owned it for nearly 12 hours and have used that button many times…to go back to the main screen. Then I tap on an application, then back home, then another application, then back home, and another application then back home, then…

    Yes, the iPad/iPods/iPhones are pretty nice…but I am tired of going “home” for everything already!

  • Anonymous

    This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a touch-sensitive button though along the border. Remember the old iPods with touch buttons?

  • @j_nathaniel

    I just hope that at some point the speakers for media end up facing ME while am using the device i nstead of the person sitting next to me…or my leg. I don’t really care what they do with the home button.

  • Anonymous

    Not necessary if the gestures previewed make it into the next iOS update. This does make sense.

  • Anonymous

    This is not unbelievable. If you’re familiar with multi-touch from when it was first used by the acquired fingerworks company then you ‘d wonder why Apple had a physical button on those devices in the first place.

  • Guest

    Got that one wrong, eh?

  • Guest

    webOS was the first gesture based OS for the mobile platform. Apple may have done it first, but they lost the race bringing it to smartphones. Since 2009, it’s interesting to see how the rest of the mobile industry has been playing catch up, most notably Blackberry and the Playbook. The comparisons are so identical to webOS, one would think the developers simply copied everything Palm has done and branded it a BB. But I digress. The next innovation Palm (read: HP) brought to us was full and complete customization of the OS. On no other phone can you completely and absolutely customize every facet of the interface and options. Note that some of these customizations may void your warranty and violate TOS agreements. Lastly, touch to share. Google it. Congrats, Apple. Somehow you’ve managed to stay ahead of the competition in sales while remaining behind in innovation. Not completely, don’t get me wrong. But this should have been on the first iPhone, as Steve Jobs has said.

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