What Was the Last iPhone with Physical Home Button?

While Apple revolutionized the concept of the home button before it became a common fixture among Android phones too. However, the trend has died down over the past few years, with Apple ditching the home button with the iconic iPhone X. This was also the first iPhone to sport an OLED display and replace the home button and Touch ID fingerprint sensor with an all-touch user interface and a new facial recognition sensor, dubbed Face ID.

ProductBrandNamePrice
31eq5m7D5uL. SL500AppleApple iPhone SE 3rd Gen, 64GB, Midnight - UnlockedCheck Price on Amazon
41Fus3DUCdL. SL500AppleApple iPhone 8, Unlocked, 64GBCheck Price on Amazon
41fOOBUucPL. SL500AppleApple iPhone 8 Plus, 64GB, Space Gray - UnlockedCheck Price on Amazon

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So when did we see the Physical Home Button on an iPhone the last time?

What Was the Last iPhone with Physical Home Button?

The iPhone SE 3 (2022) has a home button. It is a solid-state button that also includes Touch ID (fingerprint recognition) capability. The home button can be used to unlock the phone, make payments, and access other features.

The iPhone SE 3 is the only iPhone model that still has a home button. All other iPhone models have a Face ID (facial recognition) system that replaces the home button.

Here are some of the things you can do with the home button on the iPhone SE 3:

  • Unlock your phone: Press the home button once.
  • Make payments: Press and hold the home button, then place your finger on the home button to pay with Apple Pay.
  • Access Control Center: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and stop when you see Control Center.
  • Access notifications: Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  • Go home: Press the home button once.
  • Open the App Switcher: Press and hold the home button, then release it when you see the App Switcher.
  • Close an app: Swipe up on the app’s preview to close it.
  • Restart your phone: Press and hold the side button and one of the volume buttons until you see the Apple logo.

If your home button is not working properly, you can try the following:

  • Restart your phone.
  • Update your phone’s software.
  • Reset your phone’s settings.
  • Take your phone to an Apple Store for service.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus

These two handsets were launched in 2017 and had the honor of being the last iPhones to carry the Home Button and the embedded Touch ID sensor. So why did Apple remove it and replace it with Face ID? Well, it’s certainly not because of security issues as it’s well known even today that Touch ID is one of the safest forms of authentication currently going around. So much so that Apple has decided to use it with its new range of MacBook Air and Pro notebooks.

Apple’s decision was primarily based on the fact that it needed to adapt to a newer design that accommodates a bezel-less design. However, this didn’t stop the company from coming up with that hideous notch, which was eventually picked up by multiple manufacturers and remained a trend for quite some time before companies finally started to move away. Apple hasn’t, however, as its most recent handsets, including the iPhone XS and the XR feature, the same front panel design with the notch, albeit in a more significant form factor.

What do the users say?

Now that we’ve had a few years without the central home button on an iPhone flagship, there’s been ample time to analyze and understand if the removal has helped users. This factor matters a lot since this is a consumer product, and Apple claims to know what the users want.

The consensus on the Face ID authentication system is not all positive right now. This is despite Apple having two iterations to correct it. Some customers still have trouble authenticating their passwords or even unlocking their phones with Face ID. Although the technology appears to be rock solid, well, at least on paper, it hasn’t quite struck a chord with all the users yet. However, there are a handful of users out there who are perfectly happy with Face ID and don’t particularly miss Touch ID. So it all depends on personal experience.

It will be interesting to see what the company can do with the 2019 iPhone, although as it stands, several users still prefer the physical home button that was last seen on the iPhone 8 lineup.

It is also worth noting that Apple’s Face ID tech failed during the initial demonstration at Apple Park. This caused quite a bit of embarrassment for Apple, although the fact that the iPhone 8 was also shown alongside softened the blow somewhat.

Will we see this feature again?

At this point, it’s still unclear if Apple will ever want to bring back the home button/Touch ID sensor. Because Touch ID is still being used on its top of the line computers, there may be some hope yet for customers. But with Apple prioritizing bigger displays over functionality, it’s unlikely that this feature will make a comeback, not anytime soon anyway.

Can you still get iPhone 8?

Given that the iPhone 8 is not even two years old in the industry, the smartphone and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 8 Plus, are available for purchase from a variety of sources. You can either get it from Apple directly by walking into a store or participating retailer’s outlet.

Alternatively, you can also try out online sources like Amazon. Not only will you find plenty of options here, but you can also stand to save a lot of money. This is more so the case if you choose to buy the renewed version of either iPhone. As of now, all storage and color variants appear to be available, although there’s no telling how long that will last.

The iPhone 8 can be currently bought in Gold, Space Gray, Silver, as well as the limited edition Red variant. Oddly, the iPhone 8 lineup was only available in two storage variants at launch, so customers only get to choose between 64GB and 256GB if they choose to buy either model of the iPhone 8. Luckily, you should be able to find both variants of the iPhone 8 on sites like Amazon.

ProductBrandNamePrice
31eq5m7D5uL. SL500AppleApple iPhone SE 3rd Gen, 64GB, Midnight - UnlockedCheck Price on Amazon
41Fus3DUCdL. SL500AppleApple iPhone 8, Unlocked, 64GBCheck Price on Amazon
41fOOBUucPL. SL500AppleApple iPhone 8 Plus, 64GB, Space Gray - UnlockedCheck Price on Amazon

* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.

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