Will the iPad and iPhone home buttons go away? Probably not

The new iPod Nano, (touchscreen), doesn't have a Home button, so it would be more similar to that. To my surprise, you can't physically turn off the Nano, (one would think to hold the sleep/wake button for four seconds, then "slide to power off" would pop up, but that doesn't happen), you just put the device into sleep, and after being idle for 36 hours, the device shuts off on its own.

Personally, I think the Home button is too useful to get rid of. From an aesthetic standpoint, it would be nice to not have it, (buttonless third gen iPod Shuffle being a good example: smooth, streamlined appearance), but usability suffers, (needing to use an earbud remote, having to familiarize with the clicking system).

There's also a reason why they stuck with the click wheel, (I prefer the touch sensor button iPod, but the click wheel makes playback controls easier without looking at the device, i.e. Not needing to worry if it acknowledged the press/tap), so the clicking Home button should stay.

It's about time they made use of the full range of multitouch gestures, (not that I want to do four-finger taps or three-finger pinches, but it's nice to have the option).

It would be nice to have the double-click Home button function free again, (for those who like the camera shortcut). Triple-click is essential for accessibility options.

Personally, I'd like to see a physical on/off switch. Even though most of Apple's devices are meant to be "always-on"/standby, I find a power switch to be useful when booting up, (or just an indicator that the device turned on, the few times I actually had to boot-up the iPad, there's always been that moment where I think "Did I just see a flicker? Is that the dimly lit Apple icon I see?").

Why it will definitely happen: the iPad will look the correct way up in both portrait and landscape, and Steve is a stinker for such things.

BGR has usually been filled with extremely inaccurate "tips" from apple insiders.... meaning someone is having fun with them.

so don't read anything into what they rumor... 90% of the time, off. by a long way.

This may sound conspiracy theorist but think the home button is a sure way to sell new devices. Type in google "home button stuck, broken or sticky" and you will find that a lot of people suffer from this issue. Both my first gen iPod touches suffered from this after 2 years. Forces people who are addicted to their devices, like me, to buy a new one every 2 years. Same goes for the power button. Why not just make it touch sensitive with the option to lock?

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I would like to be able to push the Home button to answer a call. If you're wearing gloves, you have to take them off to answer a call. Just something that I would like... while I'm dreaming why not add multiple signatures for email, a functional lock screen, an indicator light if new SMS/emails come in (yah, I was a diehard blackberry user for years) and the ability to add/edit autotext.

I actually think this is one of those 'test leaks' to catch the Apple employee who is leaking. The blogosphere bit, and someone got fired.

Screenshots used to use the mute switch and the power/sleep button.

Power/sleep can do the reboot and hard reboot functions. Maybe even bring up one slider for a press and release and 3 sliders for a long press and release. Or two, and use an extra long press for reboot, but two controls work better for "destructive to data" operations, so maybe reboot is the lock+volume up. It is not supposed to be easy!

And voice can use the volume buttons. Or, gasp, if it is on in settings just listen for the appropriately set lead-in command. Which if it listened to all audio could allow you to call your stolen iPhone and then by voice recognition of your voice initiate a wipe of the data plus turn on a GPS position broadcast, and lock the unit on, but black the screen.

Lots of ways to get rid of it. However, I have the solution ultimate. Get rid of all the buttons. Just use unique gestures for everything.

Like others I am doubtful that Apple will get rid of the home button but I wish they would. It seems to me that having both a power button and a home button is unnecessary.

@Chris

I agree with you and John Gruber.
I hope that the next iPad iteration retains the home button and has the hand gestures as an option.

Since the iPad is also targeted at people who are intimidated by technology, I can't magine that making the iPad more complicated to use, would enhance it's saleability.

Please ask Steve Sande to discuss this at his monthly private lunch with Steve Jobs. :)

Well I agree they probably wont remove the button but I LOVE the multi touch gestures to get to the home screen I have wanted this for some time, because when I am in certain postions in bed the home button is in an inconvenient place to get to.