Earlier today, well-connected Apple reporter Mark Gurman said the so-called "iPhone 8" will have a thin software-based bar along the bottom of the home screen, controlled by gestures, in lieu of a physical home button.
Gurman also said the Dock, which houses up to four commonly used apps, will be redesigned with a new interface similar to the one on the iPad version of iOS 11. Above it, there will still be six rows of apps, with up to 24 apps per page.
The status bar is said to be split into left and right sides, which some Apple employees supposedly call "ears" internally. By default, the left side shows the time, while the right side displays Wi-Fi, signal bars, and battery life.
With those details in mind, graphic designer Olivier Charavel created a mockup of what the Home screen could look like on the iPhone 8.
Charavel also shared a mockup of Apple's Health app as an example of what apps could look like on the iPhone 8 accordingly.
Gurman said users can drag the gesture bar up to the middle of the screen to unlock the device. When inside an app, a similar gesture starts multitasking, and users can continue to flick upwards to close the app and go back to the home screen.
Guilherme Rambo shared a video that demonstrates how it could look once the Dock has been summoned, based on Apple's iOS simulator for developers.
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors.
Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too.
2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple didn't update the...
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.
iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design
The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years.
iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack)
At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button, even if it's a virtual one drawn in the same place on the screen as the hardware one.
Strongly agree. Apple has been reducing usability steadily ever since they shed skeumohism, which is when a hardware design expert started pretending he was skilled at software user experience design. Getting rid of the home button is that final step in eliminating what made the iPhone so approachable to so many. It's a sad day if true.
Really hoping there is still some sort of "home button" in software. I can't see any kind of usability at all with some hidden idea of "gestures" to get things done. I just can't see my mother (or any older person) being comfortable with an iPhone that doesn't have an obvious "home" button, even if it's a virtual one drawn in the same place on the screen as the hardware one.
My expectation is the virtual home button will automatically appear "on raise", based on the motion and proximity sensors.
