iPhone 6S May Get Rid Of Home Button, Plastic Bands

Updated on

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6S may bring enormous design changes. If new reports are to be believed, the upcoming iPhone will likely get rid of the physical Home button that some say occupies plenty of space on the front of a smartphone or tablet. The Cupertino-based tech giant has also found a way to overcome that ugly plastic band in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Apple working on TDDI single chip solution

Taiwanese website DigiTimes has learned from chipmakers that Apple is developing touch and display driver integration (TDDI) single-chip solutions for the future iPhones. The TDDI technology would help Apple get rid of the Home button on iPhones and iPads. It will come with integrated fingerprint sensors. The publication adds that Apple is working on an iPhone with ultra-thin and ultra-narrow displays and a revamped design eliminating the Home button.

Force Touch technology was probably the first step in the direction of eliminating the Home button. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said a number of times that Force Touch will be one of the biggest highlights of the iPhone 6S. Further, the tech giant already owns patents describing iPhones that lack a physical Home button. DigiTimes added that Apple’s TDDI single chips will have a huge impact on the global chip industry, suggesting that it may become a reality sooner than later.

New material to hide antenna bands in iPhone 6S

Apple was granted a patent last week that describes a new metallic material that doesn’t interfere with radio waves. If included in the iPhone 6S, the technology would allow Apple to get rid of the plastic antenna bands on the rear of the device. The patent describes composite material that looks and feels like metal, but still allows radio waves to pass through.

iPhone 6S Metal Band

The patent would allow the iPhone 6S to retain its premium look and feel without compromising on wireless strength. Radio antennas in current iPhones are embedded underneath the plastic strips as plastic is radio frequency transparent. The patent indicates that Apple may also use the material in MacBook trackpads as well as for touchscreens.

Leave a Comment