Apple’s iPhone SE (2022) may have launched only a few months ago, but there’s already talk of the next iteration of the budget smartphone lineup – and the latest rumors suggest we may be saying goodbye to the iconic home button again.
The current iPhone SE model bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone 6 released in 2014. It offers a 5.4-inch display and a single rear camera, and houses the iPhone’s signature home button at the bottom of the screen.
However, on the Geared Up podcast, guest Jon Prosser hinted that the iPhone SE 4 will instead mimic the iPhone XR. It might still be stuck with a camera, but should get a slightly larger 6.1-inch screen and swap out the physical home button and Touch ID for Face ID.
With the launch of the iPhone X in November 2017, Apple removed the Home button from its flagship smartphone, and shortly after discontinuing the first-generation iPhone SE in September 2018, the company did not offer an Home button on the new iPhone all. However, just a year and a half later, with the launch of the iPhone SE (2020), the home button is back.
Still, if the Prosser rumors are true, we may soon be saying goodbye to buttons again when the fourth-generation iPhone SE launches. That being said, we should definitely take this rumor with a grain of salt. Based on Apple’s current release pattern, the next iPhone SE could be two years away, so any design decisions are unlikely to be set in stone.
Analysis: Why remove the iPhone home button?
Apple may have removed the home button entirely from its lineup in the past, but is it really that much of a hassle? Unfortunately for those who like buttons, it does.
Even before the iPhone X was completely removed from flagship stores, Apple had to make major changes to the buttons it used, turning them from actual moving parts to solid fakes that no longer clicked when pressed. This change happened with the introduction of the iPhone 7, as too many users with an iPhone 6 or earlier reported that the physical buttons became less reliable or even stopped working after too much use.
However, even this solution has flaws. The button still takes up valuable space on the face of the iPhone, and by removing it entirely, Apple can increase the usable area of its display without increasing the size of its phone.
At the same time, many users with a dead home button found that the iPhone came with a virtual assistive touch replacement. This digital home button not only performs the basic functions of the original, but also gives users easy access to some other basic functions of the iPhone.
So it makes sense that Apple wants to say so long about the home button on its flagship models, since buttons take up valuable space, and there are already improved alternatives.
We’ll have to wait and see if the iPhone SE 4 follows suit anytime soon, but don’t be surprised if Apple’s next budget smartphone ends up with a more modern look.
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