3 ms·

> The sheer iron-willed discipline it took to reduce the front face design down to one physical button from the start is still impressive. Impressive, sure, bu

> The sheer iron-willed discipline it took to reduce the front face design down to one physical button from the start is still impressive. Impressive, sure, but not ideal. As a result of this commitment, you can, variously, click, double click, double tap (not actually click, just touch like on a capacitive screen), long press the button. Furthermore, many of these actions have context-sensitive responses, like opening the camera from the lock screen or bringing up music controls if that's playing. And other common functions, like "back" are relegated to various icons and locations on the touchscreen depending on the app. On other phones, the common "back", "home", and "switch app" functions are on separate buttons rather than being different interactions with a single button. The Apple single-button phone, like the single-button mouse, is less discoverable and less easy to use, while being better looking and easier for some common use cases. Unlike the single-button mouse, though, I think it's likely to stick around for a long time.

yoz-y 10y ago
I am curious about the context you mention. The button itself, as far as I know has only one case when the context is specific. That is if you are on the homescreen, but not on the first page, a single click will bring you to the home page. Otherwise it will bring you to the last page you have been on. The camera/music controls are linked with the control center but that is operated differently. Double tapping is definitely a weird choice for accessibility. Also, you can also triple click the home button as an accessibility shortcut. But it has to be enabled.
makecheck 10y ago
Yes but software on other phones is inconsistent about the meaning of the extra buttons. The Back button for instance can be infuriatingly unpredictable to the point where you just revert to the touch screen. It just isn’t productive to have to wonder how many screens back you will go, or if you will end up in another application, or if the button will be ignored completely.
- kevincox 10y ago
  What apps do you see this with? There are arguments against the android button model but your point seems like an odd one. In all of the apps I use the back button (the only button they get control over) acts very predictably.
  - yoz-y 10y ago
    Has the behavior changed recently? Back when I used android the back button moved to the "previous screen", but sometimes it skipped some pages (for example in a three step checkout it would go all the way to the beginning). But the worst was that it could actually go all the way back to the home screen or even switch to a different application.
    - kevincox 10y ago
      I can't recall an app ever skipping pages on me. As for back to the home screen I think that is intended behavior, if you open and app and hit back you should end up back at the home screen. And switching apps is intended too, if you came from another app it should take you back there. It works much like the back button on your web browser, it doesn't navigate a particular site per-say, it just takes you back in the history of "activities" from which you came.

yoz-y 10y ago

I am curious about the context you mention. The button itself, as far as I know has only one case when the context is specific. That is if you are on the homescreen, but not on the first page, a single click will bring you to the home page. Otherwise it will bring you to the last page you have been on. The camera/music controls are linked with the control center but that is operated differently. Double tapping is definitely a weird choice for accessibility. Also, you can also triple click the home button as an accessibility shortcut. But it has to be enabled.

makecheck 10y ago

Yes but software on other phones is inconsistent about the meaning of the extra buttons. The Back button for instance can be infuriatingly unpredictable to the point where you just revert to the touch screen. It just isn’t productive to have to wonder how many screens back you will go, or if you will end up in another application, or if the button will be ignored completely.

kevincox 10y ago
What apps do you see this with? There are arguments against the android button model but your point seems like an odd one. In all of the apps I use the back button (the only button they get control over) acts very predictably.
- yoz-y 10y ago
  Has the behavior changed recently? Back when I used android the back button moved to the "previous screen", but sometimes it skipped some pages (for example in a three step checkout it would go all the way to the beginning). But the worst was that it could actually go all the way back to the home screen or even switch to a different application.
  - kevincox 10y ago
    I can't recall an app ever skipping pages on me. As for back to the home screen I think that is intended behavior, if you open and app and hit back you should end up back at the home screen. And switching apps is intended too, if you came from another app it should take you back there. It works much like the back button on your web browser, it doesn't navigate a particular site per-say, it just takes you back in the history of "activities" from which you came.