Leaked iPhone 4 casing show updated antenna, no home button?
iPatchiPods is claiming to have received some images of what it and MacRumors believe are an updated iPhone 4 (or iPhone 4S mid frame casing with some intriguing design changes, including a modified antenna array and the apparent lack of a home button.
The frame shows that this model will have two antenna breaks at the bottom of the casing. Currently the GSM version has breaks in the lower left side and top bar and the CDMA version are both on the top bar. The changes could be to improve reception, reduce the death grip problems, support different GSM bands (including AWS for T-Mobile US), or even to support both CDMA and GSM as a "world phone".
The bottom of the frame is the most interesting part to look at. There is a lack of any defined “Home Button” area. The current iPhone 4 equivalent part shows an area cut out for the Home Button; according to iFixit. Could this mean that Apple will go capacitive and remove another moving part from the iPhone?
There has been a rumor recently that Apple is planning on releasing a cut down version of the iPhone 4 alongside the iPhone 5 when it is launched. This would make sense and this could well be the casing from it. The idea of not having a Home Button or a redesigned one would make sense too in many ways. The current iPhone 4 has a definite weakness in this area -- I have had mine replaced three times for an unresponsive button.
UK editor at iMore, mobile technology lover and air conditioning design engineer.
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Never understood the cut down version of an iPhone. Unless it is a totally new device along the nano line. If you buy an iPhone 4s or whatever they may call it, seems there will always be a wanting for the iPhone 5. The lack of a home button would be nice, as long as Apple has a way to reset the phone, or take home screen pictures without the use of a home button.
Simple, instead of using the home button you use one of the volume buttons along with the power button.
Maybe no longer a push button, but a gesture area?
BRING ON CAPACITIVE HOME BUTTON
Chris, you got a new phone from having a failing home button?? Mine is getting REALLY bad and I have been pondering going to Apple to hopefully have it replaced. The only problem is that the nearest apple store for me is a three hour drive away. So I want to be sure that it will be worth it to drive there.. Do you think I would get mine replaced for sure? It usually takes 4-5 presses for my phone to register a single press of the home button... How bad was yours to get replaced? Anyone else have this problem or have any suggestions for me? Thanks!
Had the same problem, I returned mine about a month ago at the Apple store. Back it up first. They'll replace it.
I had two days left on my warranty and the lady switched mine out as soon and she tried to bring up the multi tasking.
How can you tell if there is a "lack of any defined 'Home Button' area"?
The picture with the bottom area has the part lying screen area down, ie the home button area isn't visible.
Dock, mQuickDo, & activator. I haven't used my home button since 2008.
Redesigned home button? Maybe. Capacitive home button? Probably not.
A capacitive home button would be too sensitive. Especially when you're holding the iPhone in landscape mode. Just one touch and you'd be looking at the home screen and its icons. Better to have a physical button with that satisfying "click."