Latest iPhone Rumor Teases Haptic Feedback Home Button A report from Bloomberg also confirmed the absence of a headphone jack on the next iPhone.
By Tom Brant
This story originally appeared on PCMag
Hot on the heels of one of the most convincing prototypes of Apple's next iPhone that has surfaced so far, Bloomberg reported this week that the new handset would feature a 3-D Touch-like home button.
Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the next iPhone's home button will respond to pressure with a vibrating sensation rather than a click as it does currently. That would make it similar to Apple's 3-D Touch feature on the iPhone 6s, which activates a haptic feedback sensation when you apply pressure to the screen.
Bloomberg's sources also confirmed two other widely-circulated rumors: the next iPhone will come without a headphone jack and will include a dual camera system to capture brighter photos with more detail. A purple iPhone prototype that Unboxing Therapy showed off last week also corroborated those changes.
The absence of a headphone jack is widely rumored and has caused much consternation, though some early prototypes have included one. There's also been no shortage of theories about how Apple will pipe audio out of the device.
In addition to its similarity to 3-D Touch, the new haptic feedback home button will closely resemble the capabilities of the trackpad on Apple's 2015 MacBook, signaling Cupertino's commitment to continue investing in the technology. It's not clear from Bloomberg's report what additional features a haptic feedback home button would provide.
Whatever physical features end up being included -- or abandoned -- on the new iPhone, its software capabilities won't be a surprise. Apple has extensively touted the features of its next mobile operating system, iOS 10, which it unveiled at WWDC in June. It overhauls Messages and includes a new version of Siri that supports third-party integrations, among other changes.
