[louzer]

The Home button has been around since before the iPhone. People complain that Apple sticks with such old technology for navigation when swiping and gestures have come so far. There are so many taps and swipes to do something that can be accomplished in BB10 so much easier. Is Apple so entrenched in the past that they fail to move on from the past and innovate?

The same is said for Blackberry's keyboards and, moreso, for the reemergence of the toolpad. Who uses keyboards anymore? Why use old technology for navigation when the touch UI is so fluid.

Maybe it's more a function of what people are used to as opposed to simply what's new. If the Classic represents a lack of innovation in reviewers' eyes, then the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are trapped in the past. Maybe this isn't a bad thing.

Posted by twiddling my thumbs on the mighty Qued! - Channel C003DAB77

[Carjackd]

Agreed Louzer! We are creatures of habit. Bringing back the old is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you continue to freshen it up! Nice post!

Executive Producer of the Peevishlicious Crew via my Canadian Passport

[anon(9208252)]

The Home button has been around since before the iPhone. People complain that Apple sticks with such old technology for navigation when swiping and gestures have come so far. There are so many taps and swipes to do something that can be accomplished in BB10 so much easier. Is Apple so entrenched in the past that they fail to move on from the past and innovate?

The same is said for Blackberry's keyboards and, moreso, for the reemergence of the toolpad. Who uses keyboards anymore? Why use old technology for navigation when the touch UI is so fluid.

Maybe it's more a function of what people are used to as opposed to simply what's new. If the Classic represents a lack of innovation in reviewers' eyes, then the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are trapped in the past. Maybe this isn't a bad thing.

Posted by twiddling my thumbs on the mighty Qued! - Channel C003DAB77

nice shirt louzer.

[TheScionicMan]

Maybe they'll change things up with the rumored iPhone Mini. Making something smaller than the iPhone 6 would be the perfect time to eliminate the physical button and move forward. It seems like they could make a TouchID sensor that didn't have to be a moving part. But I'm pretty sure we'll only see another slight variation in size to the same old thing.

Other than broken screens, the next biggest problem we encounter with our iPhone users is with Home button failure. My boss is a pro at replacing them at this point. So far, we haven't had a TouchID enabled one that has failed, but it will be interesting to see what happens as the phones age.

[Ment]

I doubt a new phone the size of 5/5S would initiate a removal of the home button. Apple has patents on other uses of the home button such as making it gesture/swipe aware and that is what I see it going probably not for Iphone 7 but perhaps 8.

[thymaster]

Who says Apple isn't innovating? They are making their icons flatter and flatter with every incremental iPhone release.

[anon(13322)]

Well, I don't think we will see any changes to the home button in 2015. It's a software year for Apple. Honestly, the Touch ID is pretty damn awesome and the best on any smartphone. We will see in 2016 what Apple does to shrink the size of the iPhone 7/iPhone 7 Plus. Heck, most people in the world don't seem to mind it.

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[bakron1]

There is an old proverb in the consumer products manufacturing sector that has held true for a long time, if it works and your customers like it, don't change it. You can improve its functionality, but don't change it. Apple has stuck to their concepts and have made a boat load of money doing it. Basic business concepts 101.

Sent from my lovely passport on T Mobile USA

[belfastdispatcher]

Apple is not clinging to the past, they found the perfect formula for the masses.

[ubizmo]

I'd say they're clinging to success.

[pantlesspenguin]

I'm probably in the minority, but I use the home and multitask gestures on my iPad. They are easy to get used to. If they would get rid of the home button they could shrink the bezels and have more screen real estate, or keep the screen sizes they have now and have smaller devices.

[RickTrout]

Apple is not clinging to the past, they found the perfect formula for the masses.

If it were perfect they wouldn't be loosing market share to android. They may hold a 20-30 percent share no matter what they do but the fact is that if they don't innovate, many current iPhone users will jump ship. When all their friends can do things that their iPhone can't, all but the true iSheep will be gone.

Posted with my Z30 on CrackBerry 10

[MmmHmm]

Gesture based OS's have mostly failed in the marketplace. Why would Apple (and Samsung for that matter) copy a failed idea? Besides, Touch ID is great and there needs to be a place for it. The home button isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Change simply for the sake of change is not innovation and is a bad move.

[Chrisy]

I'd say they're clinging to success.

I prefer BlackBerry gestures to iPhone's home button. But that obviously doesn't make or break it for the majority. It has to be other things...

[pantlesspenguin]

I prefer BlackBerry gestures to iPhone's home button. But that obviously doesn't make or break it for the majority. It has to be other things...

Have you tried using the home and multitask gestures? Are those on the iOS version you're on?

Edit: never mind! It looks like the gestures are only on iPad. I had no idea! I assumed they were universal across iOS.

[belfastdispatcher]

If it were perfect they wouldn't be loosing market share to android. They may hold a 20-30 percent share no matter what they do but the fact is that if they don't innovate, many current iPhone users will jump ship. When all their friends can do things that their iPhone can't, all but the true iSheep will be gone.

Posted with my Z30 on CrackBerry 10

They might be loosing marketshare but sales and profits are always increasing.

Also IPhones aren't cheap, they're out of the reach of many people

[yohannrjm]

One thing that Apple has always been good at is simplifying their interfaces. Even my MIL can just pick up a Mac and get going, with little training. The same applies to the original iPod, and the iPhone interface.

While I am a big fan of swipe interfaces (my all-time favourite interface is the one on the Nokia N9), I know a lot of people who are intimidated by it.

Apple does innovate, but they try not to mess with their interface. As the OP pointed out, this is good. If BlackBerry had released the Classic first, they may not have lost so many legacy customers.

Look at what happened to Microsoft, with their Win8 switch. You could hear the howls of protest all over the globe. Now that they're returning to something close to Win7 (in Windows 10), things are settling down again.

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[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

There is an old proverb in the consumer products manufacturing sector that has held true for a long time, if it works and your customers like it, don't change it. You can improve its functionality, but don't change it. Apple has stuck to their concepts and have made a boat load of money doing it. Basic business concepts 101.

Sent from my lovely passport on T Mobile USA

In 1985 COKE helped to prove that proverb was very true... so it goes to show that every now and then we have to learn the same lessons, all over again.


Not sure why BlackBerry didn't just stick BB10 into a Bold with some updated internals...
And if I were Apple I'd ignore the small minority that always complains about their products, if it is selling and if the only reason you are being outsold is because of pricing. I wouldn't worry about it.

[TGR1]

Have you tried using the home and multitask gestures? Are those on the iOS version you're on?

Edit: never mind! It looks like the gestures are only on iPad. I had no idea! I assumed they were universal across iOS.

Slightly different gestures between phone and tablet - I find it can be confusing.

[pantlesspenguin]

Slightly different gestures between phone and tablet - I find it can be confusing.

Yeah that's my bad. I honestly don't know anything about the gestures on the phone because I assumed they were the same on the iPad. They're really easy on the iPad.

[dbmalloy]

Considering the the number of devices sold the amount of issues are minimal... why would Apple change what works? if sales drop and Apple pulls a Blackberry of old... I could see starting to change things up... one of the main selling points of Apple is ease of use... every time you add or take away something from a device there is an additional learning curve.... one thing they have strived to avoid... so as long as they keep selling in the millions... do not expect any major changes....

[BBUniq01]

They might be loosing marketshare but sales and profits are always increasing.

Also IPhones aren't cheap, they're out of the reach of many people

Which is why Androids are popular. BlackBerry is not cheap either. Especially when u have to buy it off contract.

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[BCITMike]

Ok. For those who are not English first language.

lose. Sounds like "booze". Example: "Where did you lose your phone?". "They are losing market share". "If you don't win, you lose".
loose. Sounds like "Lucy", without the -y. - Example: "The tire came loose and fell off".

Not sure how to remember it... maybe "the goose got loose"? Everyone knows goose and moose with two o's, right?

[woofster]

I'd say they're clinging to success.

As the world knows, Apple does marketing well and their products sell. Apple's customers buy their products for style, simplicity, trendiness, popularity and their ecosystem. All of these qualities appeal to millions of people all over the world. There's no denying this and Apple continues to produce products that the general consumer wants to be a part of. So yes, I think they're clinging...clinging onto what works best for them.

[boeingrules]

One thing that Apple has always been good at is simplifying their interfaces. Even my MIL can just pick up a Mac and get going, with little training. The same applies to the original iPod, and the iPhone interface.

While I am a big fan of swipe interfaces (my all-time favourite interface is the one on the Nokia N9), I know a lot of people who are intimidated by it.

Apple does innovate, but they try not to mess with their interface. As the OP pointed out, this is good. If BlackBerry had released the Classic first, they may not have lost so many legacy customers.

Look at what happened to Microsoft, with their Win8 switch. You could hear the howls of protest all over the globe. Now that they're returning to something close to Win7 (in Windows 10), things are settling down again.

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk 2

True, if Apple removed the Home button, I can't even begin to imagine the berserk chaos afterwards. People don't seem to understand that Apple is successful because of its continuity. Even in the design of its phones, it keeps the exact same corners, the exact same bezels, not because they can't make their phones more compact but for the sake of continuity for the consumer. You pick up any two iPhones and they look and feel more or less the same and they work in more or less the same way.

Innovation does not necessitate the removal of the home button, especially when it's working so well (for now). There are plenty of other areas for Apple to innovate in. I don't believe Apple will ever remove the Home button on the iPhone (or the iPad for that matter) and if they do it will be on a whole new line of products.

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