Apple expected to ditch home button in iPhone 8

The upcoming Apple iPhone 8 might bring a new set of gesture control options, eliminating the need for a home button. The phone which is expected to launch on September 12 could change the way you interact with it in a significant way if reports from Bloomberg are to be believed.

According to the report, Apple is bringing a software bar replacing the home button on its upcoming phone. The user can swipe up to the middle of the screen to unlock the device. Other expected gestures include swiping up on the screen to open the list of apps running in the background. Previously, one had to double tap the home button to access the running apps. Continuously swiping up the finger above the screen will close the current app.

A tweet by Guilherme Rambo shows the new gestures expected on the iPhone 8.

This is also interesting pic.twitter.com/JdYDhZDkev

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 21, 2017

This is just part of what’s set to be a radical redesign of the next iPhone. Other rumors state that the iPhone could mute notifications when you’re looking at it, include face scanning technology that works even when the phone is on the table, and include a screen that fills the frame of the phone except for a little notch that houses sensors, cameras, and earpiece. The Bloomberg report also mentions that the display of the Apple iPhone 8 will accommodate 24 icons excluding the dock (a bar at the bottom of the display that shows commonly used apps) on each page. The apps will be lined in 6 vertical rows.

Updated screens showing how apps might look like on new iPhone 8 based on @markgurman scoop. @stroughtonsmith https://t.co/fHQxYo7iUV pic.twitter.com/HlHUVqrUrO

— Maksim Petriv (@talkaboutdesign) August 30, 2017

In the new, high-end iPhone, Apple also plans a taller screen with rounded corners, a cutout at the top of the display for the camera and sensors, and new antenna locations, the images show. Across the bottom of the screen, there’s a thin, software bar in lieu of the home button. A user can drag it up to the middle of the screen to open the phone. When inside an app, a similar gesture starts multitasking. The multitasking interface has been redesigned to appear like a series of standalone cards that can be swiped through, versus the stack of cards on current iPhones, the images show.

Reportedly, the new device could cost as much as $1000. Apple is hoping a newly designed device can spur major demand for its flagship phone.