Apart from being courageous and getting rid of the still rather standard 3.5mm jack, the iPhone 7 doesn’t feature many major physical changes. In fact the only notable one (aside from the camera, of course), is the replacement of the Home Button. You might not see it at a glance, but Apple have replaced the once tactile button with a force sensitive one. So it doesn’t actually click (which may seem irritating), but it does offer a neat workaround for some technical problems.
In the past having the Home Button fail was pretty disastrous. It stripped away a lot of functionality from your iPhone and forced you to get it fixed as soon as possible. With this new haptic button, its failure isn’t as dire. Since the button isn’t hard wired in and instead relies on software feedback to perform tasks, Apple has implemented a workaround for when it stops working. If it does, you’ll be greeted with a Home Button on the touchscreen itself, which will let you continue using your iPhone 7 with ease.
One user on MacRumours already ran into this issue, and documented the results.
Apple still advises users to go and get the Home Button fixed, but at least now it’s a little easier to hold off if you’re not able to go to an Apple Store at that very second. It could also be a precursor to plans that Apple might have for removing the button altogether in their next iPhone iteration. That rumour has been swirling around for weeks now, so this workaround could serve two purposes should users find it a decent way to stop using the home button entirely.
Of course that’s always been the case with some of the iPhone’s accessibility features (which allowed users to do exactly that), but it is nice to see that a hardware revision actually comes with a little more purpose than just wanting to be new.
Last Updated: October 17, 2016
SwiftSlug
October 17, 2016 at 14:04
Due for an upgrade but dont know if I should get the 6s or 7.
Fox1 - Retro
October 17, 2016 at 15:44
This.
Original Heretic
October 17, 2016 at 14:15
So, they’re included a feature on the phone that kicks in when something breaks? That’s a middle finger to the consumer.
“This is gonna break, so when it does, here’s how you work around it. We know our phone won’t last, but we’re still selling it to you!”
Corporate thinking, yay.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
October 17, 2016 at 14:18
I bet they even have a middle finger prosthesis in case theirs breaks off or is cut off
VampyreSquirrel
October 17, 2016 at 14:19
“We’ve put this work around in place just in case this breaks, like it did when we were testing.”
Original Heretic
October 17, 2016 at 14:23
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2b6e46592d13f680ee2ab25c34e6c4136bd9c9c651ddedbe38a6d5b46c9f6d73.jpg
VampyreSquirrel
October 17, 2016 at 14:23
Hahahaha
Dane
October 17, 2016 at 14:29
You don’t have to be so passive aggressive about asking us for Apple jokes yunno’.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
October 17, 2016 at 14:39
Applelogies?
RinceThis
October 17, 2016 at 14:45
lol
RinceThis
October 17, 2016 at 14:39
screw apple 😛
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
October 17, 2016 at 14:39
Especially red ones
Coughsie
October 17, 2016 at 14:40
that sounds complicated and not as fulfilling.
Dungeon of JJ
October 17, 2016 at 15:41
I’d say we should start a riot, but after you said that there is probably already a whole army of Starbucks drinkers with top knots outside your door 😛
RinceThis
October 17, 2016 at 14:39
Admiral Chief
October 17, 2016 at 15:13
You know things are screwed if they are already designing a work-around
Raptor Rants
October 17, 2016 at 15:13
Actually this is forward thinking. It’s better than not planning for it.
Admiral Chief
October 17, 2016 at 15:15
No, this is bad business practise and shitty design at its top form
Raptor Rants
October 21, 2016 at 08:19
So how would you rather they do it? Not have a workaround on the off chance a home button breaks?
konfab
October 17, 2016 at 15:28
So Apple are implementing a feature that Android has had since Ice Cream sandwich.
lol
Dungeon of JJ
October 17, 2016 at 15:42
No no man. Make no mistake Apple is TOTALLY not behind the times regarding tech and software. You know mos mos. 😛
Fox1 - Retro
October 17, 2016 at 15:45
Android can now do this with gestures on any 4.0+ device LOL
Dungeon of JJ
October 17, 2016 at 16:02
The note has the best feature though. Self destruction to keep info safe.
iusedtobe(a)regular
October 17, 2016 at 15:49
Are they expecting some trouble with the home button?