Rumors continue to swirl around the iPhone 7, and this time around, the word around the web suggests that the upcoming release from Apple may look dramatically different from earlier models.
More specifically, it may look different because it could reportedly no longer feature the home button.
According to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster and as reported by Barron's, there are more than a few reasons for why Apple may ultimately decide to eliminate the home button.
First off, according to Munster, Apple wants to make the iPhone 7's screen bigger without making the device itself significantly larger, and one way to do that could be through eliminating the home button.
Apple is reportedly also looking to take out the home button in part because they now have a suitable replacement in the form of the 3D Touch feature they have recently introduced.
One potential roadblock to eliminating the home button, however, could be in the fact that it currently houses the Touch ID. One possible way to work around this is to simply situate the Touch ID elsewhere, possibly even to the side of the iPhone 7, so that the home button can be removed.
Munster then goes on to say that for now, there is a 50 percent chance that the iPhone 7 could no longer have the home button.
The iPhone 7 may also end up being the one that finally ends up featuring the sapphire screen long rumored for earlier versions of the iconic device.
According to Value Walk, the company has previously used the sapphire material for the Apple Watch, meaning they now have more familiarity with it, and would thus be more inclined to use it for the iPhone 7.
Apple has previously touted the virtues of the sapphire material in the past, thus making the decision to move forward with using it a truly distinct possibility for the company.
