More iPhone 8 HomePod hints: tap to wake, split status, no Touch ID
Since Apple was "kind enough" to itself provide a treasure trove of clues regarding the upcoming iPhones, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has lost no time in digging those hints out and dusting them off for public enjoyment. And while they say nothing about the actual design of the iPhone 8 itself aside from one art asset, they do help give users some idea of the features they can expect from the upcoming 10th anniversary edition.
There is actually an indirect clue to the iPhone 8's design. The UIStatusBar API, for example, was noted to have been redone to include a "split" format. This was most likely done to accommodate the iPhone 8, which has a cutout at the top for the front camera and sensors. This confirms what we've seen so far, including the Apple Pay glyphs that show both an iPhone 5s-like outline as well as the iPhone 8.
Troughton-Smith also saw hints that there will be a "tap to wake" function. This is starting to become a trend among smartphone makers and seems to be one of Apple's concessions since it will be taking away the physical home button. There will be a virtual home button instead, referred to as the "home indicator", which will apparently hide depending on the app or context.
And to squash any hope that the iPhone 8 will have a display fingerprint scanner, ultrasonic or otherwise, the developer notes that there is nothing in the firmware that refers to it. Given recent reports from component suppliers, it does seem that Apple has decided to stop chasing after the elusive technology for a while. Better luck next year.