Rumor: Apple working on virtual home button for future iPhone
DigiTimes released a report claiming that Apple is developing touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions where the physical home button can be replaced with a virtual one.
The Home button may disappear from Apple's iPhones in the near future.
Rumors of Apple ditching the physical home button have been circulating for many years and today, there is a fresh report out of the rumor mill stating that it is becoming a reality soon.
According to DigiTimes, sources in Taiwan's IC design industry claim that Apple is working on touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions for the iPhone. These TDDI single-chip solutions are said to integrate fingerprint sensors with the virtual home button, resulting in "ultra-thin and ultra-narrow displays" for future iPhones.
If the rumor is true, Apple could bring relief to many iPhone users around the world who rely on the accessibility feature, Assistive Touch to avoid breaking the physical home button. Apparently, users across Asia including Singapore, China, Vietnam and the Philippines are using Assistive Touch to access various commands on their iPhones.
It is also possible that Apple is competing with Qualcomm to implement the next generation fingerprint scanning technology. Earlier at Mobile World Congress 2015, Qualcomm showcased its Sense ID technology which is a 3D fingerprint scanner technology that uses ultrasonic sound waves to read your fingerprint. Sense ID can detect your fingerprint through glass, metal and other surfaces, which renders a physical home button unnecessary.
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