14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is planning to get rid of the Home button on the iPhone 8, leaving the phone with absolutely no buttons, but there was a time when the company was very close to having two of them.
Everyone knows that as compared to Android devices, iPhones have always sported just a single button that later was upgraded to include Touch ID as well.
But as revealed in a new book called “The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone,” Steve Jobs originally wanted the company’s flagship device to have two different buttons, one of which would serve the same purpose as on Android devices: go back when navigating through menus or in the browser.
Apple designer Imran Chaudhri was the one who convinced Steve Jobs to stick with just a single button, pointing out that such an approach would serve its purpose better than having one extra button just for a single feature.
The back feature
To compensate for not having a back button, Apple developed iOS with swipe right support which allows users to go back to the previous screen easily. Of course, it might not be as intuitive as a dedicated back button, but most iOS users seem to prefer it this way given the advantages that it brings.
Nearly 10 years after Steve Jobs accepted a one-button iPhone, the decision seems to be paying off, with most manufacturers struggling to get more space inside the phone for new features. This is why the home button is being removed on most flagships, so in the case of Apple, not having a second button is clearly helping them go forward with a bezel-less design without the need for on-screen touch controls.
The iPhone 8 is projected to launch without any buttons in the fall of this year, most likely in September, ahead of hitting the shelves in October. The device will also come with a fingerprint sensor embedded into the screen, but with some other extra features like wireless charging and a glass body.