Analysts: iPhone 7 may ditch the physical home key for a 'Force Touch ID' button
Apple might be moving towards a capacitive, instead of a physical home key - that much we've heard already - but adding more water to that particular rumor mill is a memo from investment research firm Cowen and Company. The analysts are citing "field checks," which is an euphemism for supply chain sources, and claim that the iPhone 7 will be using a "Force Touch home button."
Now, Force Touch is another euphemism for Apple's 3D Touch technology, which can distinguish between a light tap and harder presses, reacting accordingly to display different images on the screen. So far, it's been employed for Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus displays only, and it will be interesting to see if and how the company is planning to embed it in the signature home key.
The analysts suggest that the new capacitive home key will still give ample feedback when pressed, perhaps with some sort of a vibrating motor underneath, so the familiar physical feeling won't be entirely lost. All of these aren't hard to believe - after all, the HTC 10 already sports a capacitive home key with embedded fingerprint scanner, so we doubt it would be hard for Apple to make one.
As for the 3D Touch physical feel component - well, Apple equipped the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with a new state-of-the-art taptic engine that responds to your presses with subtle feedback, so you know you are doing something, and a similar action might be employed underneath the new Touch ID home button, too. Now, there is only one thing left to say - when will we be able to weigh something on the new iPhone 7 home key?
source: Business Insider
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