Apple could be making its first touch screen device without a home button due for release next year. The Cupertino giant could be working on an iPad without the unlock button on the front of the device, reports suggest.
The upcoming 10.9-inch iPad, which is expected to be unveiled early next year, will still have a FaceTime camera on the top, but there will be no space for a home button at the bottom of the screen, according to Maktotakara.
Removing the home button will make space for a larger screen on the tablet that is likely to be the same size as the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro.
The rumours also suggest that the iPad will have smaller buttons on the top and side, as well as being the same thickness as the iPad Air 2 rather than the size of the iPad Pro. This increase is to make space for the battery given the larger screen size.
Apple plans to keep selling the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, Makotakara said, alongside the 10.9-inch device, but will drop the price of the current tablet and aim it towards the lower end of the market.
The newer iPad, by comparison, is being designed for use in schools and businesses where a larger screen is necessary. As well as the 10.9-inch iPad, Apple is reportedly working on a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro that will be an extra 3mm thick. It isn’t clear if it will have a home button or not.
Neither the 10.9-inch or 12.9-inch iPads will have an OLED screen, reports suggest. The latest screen technology is expected to be held until the 2018 iPad release.
The iPhone 8, due for release next September is also rumoured to be missing the home button. It is likely to have a TouchID that sits behind the screen rather than a physical button beneath it.
[Source:-TELEGRAPH]
