Pay tribute to the beloved Apple home button that is no longer here.
Although it is no longer present, it was removed from the lineup today with the arrival of the new iPhone 16e.
The iconic home button from Apple has come to an end after 18 years of service, passing away surrounded by loved ones, including its partner Touch ID. This button debuted with the original iPhone and extended to devices such as the iPod touch and iPad, but was abruptly removed with the launch of the new iPhone 16e. This model, which replaces the iPhone SE, adopts the full-screen design introduced with the iPhone X in 2017. With the disappearance of the third-generation iPhone SE, there are now no products in Apple's lineup that utilize this iconic feature.
Although not everyone noticed, the home button went through several versions over the years. Its first version arrived in 2007 with the original iPhone, which operated through a mechanical mechanism, bouncing back thanks to a spring and lacking biometric authentication, leaving the use of a passcode as the only option. This first model had a representative symbol: a square with rounded corners that symbolized application icons.
A few months later, the same type of button made its appearance on the iPod touch, which was eventually discontinued in 2022, and later on the first iPad. In 2013, the home button was updated to incorporate Touch ID with the launch of the iPhone 5s, featuring a metallic ring around it and biometric sensors underneath the button, while still maintaining a spring mechanism.
Touch ID also arrived on the iPad with the iPad Air 2 the following year. However, the iPod touch never had these advanced features. In 2016, Apple introduced the solid-state home button on the iPhone 7, which sensed finger pressure and used haptic feedback to simulate a click. This clever update fooled many users, who did not notice that the button did not physically move. Additionally, it made it easier for Apple's engineers to seal the device, making it the first model with an IP67 water and dust resistance certification.
Before announcing the disappearance of the home button, changes in the product line were already visible. The arrival of the iPhone X marked a significant shift, presenting itself as a device that would define the technological direction for the next decade. By 2022, Apple had removed the home button from the latest iPad by transferring Touch ID to the power button on its entry-level model, and also discontinued the iPod touch. Finally, the third-generation iPhone SE, which carried on this tradition alone, came to an end with the announcement of its successor equipped with Face ID.
A significant chapter in Apple's history closes, and the home button will be remembered by many.