UNNATURAL SELECTION
Apple finally did it. It unveiled an iPhone, named iPhone X, that lacks a Home button. That iconic feature, notably present even in basic depictions of the smartphone, has been with us for 10 years. But in laying out its plans for what the future holds for its flagship product, Apple has demonstrated it’s not afraid to cast off something that’s familiar to millions of people around the world.
This means some upheaval. Some of the interactions you’ll have grown used to over the years – returning to the Home screen, taking screenshots, and opening the app switcher, to name a few – require you to adapt to new ways of doing things. Most of the changes will soon be like second nature, but there’s one that stands out: opening Control Center. The act of swiping up from the bottom of the screen has been co-opted as the way to get to the Home screen on iPhone X. Consequently, you have to swipe down from the icons at the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
Whether you’re left- or right-handed, most people’s thumbs won’t reach all the way up there. The Reachability feature, which slides the screen’s contents downward to fall within reach, is reportedly unavailable on iPhone X. On other models, it’s invoked by double-tapping the Home button.
It turns out this might be a bigger deal than the introduction of 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones ever was, because without Reachability, you’re forced into using a second hand to access a whole bunch of shortcuts that you might use often each day. It means an end to swiping upward with your thumb and tapping music controls, Do Not Disturb, Low Power Mode, or one of the many other items you can add to Control Center in iOS 11.
We’ll find out whether this is really an issue or something to simply adapt to, like other changes, when iPhone X becomes available in early November. Meanwhile, turn the page to learn more about Apple’s latest device updates.