Now only a few models have it, but not long ago all iPhone models that came to market did so with a physical home button. Yes, indeed, it is that one that is located at the bottom of the screen and with it we could execute almost all actions. Now, why did Apple remove the home button and when did this happen?
To know this story you have to go back to 2017. When we entered that course, rumors in the Apple specialized press did not stop commenting on one aspect: the next iPhone would break with all previous ones by eliminating the famous home or home button that the terminals included at the bottom. Instead, it would add an almost full screen where the only buttons were on the sides. What happened? That this was confirmed in September of that same 2017 at the press event held by Apple.
In the middle of that month (September 12 to be exact), those from Cupertino announced the launch of the iPhone X. This model featured a 5.8-inch OLED display and TrueTone Super Retina HD Dolby Vision HDR10 Super Retina HD technology. Apple has been known for making moves that are not always understood by the public, such as removing the 3.5 mm headphone jack or this one, which removed the useful home button on the screen. There were several reasons for this action, but the two main ones were as easy as more screen and a more elegant design.
The fact of placing a home button meant that the design of the screen was not complete, i.e. it required a band to be placed at the bottom to insert the button. This ate quite a lot of the screen dimensions, which in turn demanded that the terminal was larger if you wanted to make up for the lack of inches. With the elimination of the button, the display area gained in size – and quite a lot of it.
To this we must add the design aspect. Apple, as we said, is not afraid to innovate in other areas. Eliminating the button gave the iPhone a more elegant look, with a terminal that was practically a full screen and looked amazing. In addition, it allowed you to introduce gestures to control the terminal or even the well-known Face ID.
The elimination of the home button in turn caused Touch ID to disappear from smartphones. To replace this very secure method of unlocking, Apple opted for Face ID, which was nothing more than easy recognition for unlocking or performing actions. It may seem less complex than fingerprint, but Phil Schiller, Director of Product Marketing at the time, explained that there was a better chance of someone unlocking your phone with Touch ID (1 in 50,000) than with Face ID (1 in 1,000,000).
In short, the elimination of the home button responded to a purely display area decision, firstly, which was accompanied by a more groundbreaking design, secondly, and new technological bets by Apple, thirdly. Although the vast majority of new terminals no longer include this home button, there are models, such as the iPhone SE 2022, which are still launched with this screen. After all, the old never dies… and there are still people who prefer it to gestures.
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