Rumor: 'iPhone 7' may feature touch-sensitive home button, full water- and dust-proofing

Apple's next flagship iPhone will not only be waterproof and dustproof, but possibly feature a touch-sensitive home button, new rumor claims.

Using a touch-sensitive button could allow the front of the so-called "iPhone 7" to sit completely flush, I4U News reported on Monday, citing Chinese-language stories from DigiTimes and Storm.mg. The device has allegedly just finished its third test phase.

The back of the device is also expected to be flush, thanks to Apple removing the infamous camera "bump" found on the iPhone 6 and 6s. Past reports have hinted that Apple is planning to eliminate the bump, which has annoyed some people by preventing an iPhone from laying perfectly flat, or simply by breaking up its "clean" design aesthetic.

Reports have differed on whether the next iPhone will be waterproof. The iPhone 6s is already somewhat water-resistant however, and taking the next step would allow Apple to better compete with Samsung, whose flagship Galaxy S7 can be fully submerged in 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

Going waterproof involves closing as many unnecessary gaps in a device as possible. For the iPhone that could be helped if Apple decides to strip out the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, as some rumors have pointed to. Instead, people would have to pump external audio through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Lightning-equipped accessories.

Apple is expected to launch its next-generation iPhone later this year, presumably in September if the company follows normal release patterns.

16 Comments

macplusplus 2116 comments · 9 Years

About 8 years ago

The removal of 3.5 mm audio jack and the camera bump makes me hopeful about that zoom assembly moving vertically inside the device like a periscope. That would be innovation...

cnocbui 3612 comments · 17 Years

AppleInsider said:

Apple's next flagship iPhone will not only be waterproof and dustproof, but possibly feature a touch-sensitive home button, new rumor claims.
Going waterproof involves closing as many unnecessary gaps in a device as possible. For the iPhone that could be helped if Apple decides to strip out the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, as some rumors have pointed to. Instead, people would have to pump external audio through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Lightning-equipped accessories.

The S7 is waterproof even though it retained the 3.5mm socket, which was made intrinsically waterproof so it doesn't even require a cover.

ireland 17435 comments · 18 Years

If digitimes is wrong it's business and usual if they are right it's pure luck at best. But doesn't matter anyone because if Apple doesn't deliver what these idiots predict it can always be Apple's fault.

Ushira 1 comment · 8 Years

cnocbui said:

AppleInsider said:

Apple's next flagship iPhone will not only be waterproof and dustproof, but possibly feature a touch-sensitive home button, new rumor claims.
Going waterproof involves closing as many unnecessary gaps in a device as possible. For the iPhone that could be helped if Apple decides to strip out the 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, as some rumors have pointed to. Instead, people would have to pump external audio through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Lightning-equipped accessories.

The S7 is waterproof even though it retained the 3.5mm socket, which was made intrinsically waterproof so it doesn't even require a cover.

Yes but Apple is obsessed with making their devices thin as paper

suddenly newton 13819 comments · 14 Years

I don't know why the rumor mill has to be so conservative: go wild, if you're going to make promises for Apple to fail to deliver on in September. Then use that to spin the iPhone 7 launch as a "huge disappointment."