Apple Could Be Dropping the Home Button on Next-Gen iPhone and iPad Models

Apple's going casual -- next generation iPhones and iPads are supposedly losing the only button really featured on the devices. New versions of these two popular Apple products will most likely not feature the Home button which has been, until now, a constant attribute of Apple's tablet and phone.

Currently, the home button performs the essential function of taking users to the application launcher, as well as switching between running applications and closing background apps.

It's assumed that some sort of multi-touch gesture will take over these functions, but what that gesture will be or how Apple plans to implement it is not yet known.

Not the First
HP's webOS might shed some light on how Apple plans to compensate for the home button's removal.

The webOS already has a similar, button-free interface, in which users employ on-screen gestures instead of button taps. For example, sweeping a finger from the bottom of the screen to the top opens the app launcher.

It's just a possibility, but it wouldn't be surprising if Apple goes in a similar direction.

The next-generation iPhone is expected to debut this summer -- Apple has refreshed its smartphone series in June or July each of the last three years.

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