Why the iPhone X is Making People Re-Think Mobile Development

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In a lot of ways, Apple’s iPhone has always been a trendsetter in terms of mobile application development. Though it may be hard to remember now, there was a period during the early days of smartphones where manufacturers like BlackBerry were still holding onto devices with physical keyboards for as long as possible. Then, the iPhone debuted in 2007 and suddenly a massive switch towards an almost total touchscreen interface began.

But again – “almost.” From the first iPhone up until the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in 2017, the device itself still had a physical “Home” button that a lot of functionality was built around. Do you need to exit out of an app and return to the menu? Press the “Home” button. Do you need to quickly switch between two or more running applications? Double tap the “Home” button. This simple yet powerful button has been a staple of smartphones (and in turn mobile app development) for a decade.

And now, with the iPhone X, it is finally gone.

The Implications of the iPhone X on Mobile App Development

Maybe the most important thing to understand about the iPhone X’s noticeable lack of a “Home” button is that it is less an outlier and more a sign of things to come. Yes, Apple released two “traditional” models at the same time with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus – but experts already agree that these are likely the last such devices that will sport the company’s more traditional hardware design.

Everything is now controlled by swipes and other multi-finger gestures at the operating system level on an iPhone X. If you want to quickly switch between apps, you now need to both swipe up from the bottom of the device but keep your thumb firmly pressed against the screen itself. If you want to enable reachability – the feature that allows people to easily access apps at the top of the screen on mobile devices – you now need to swipe downward from the top of the screen itself.

Equally complicating things is the virtual “notch” at the top of the device – something that Apple has said that mobile app developers should not try to hide, but instead consider carefully when making user interface and user experience decisions.

Even though it’s only been out for a short amount of time, the iPhone X is already selling incredibly well – to the point where it’s still difficult to come by in most parts of the country. What this means is that despite the device’s somewhat controversial design, it is here to say – as are the changes that mobile app developers need to make to their own processes.

In the short-term, what this means is that developers essentially need to support two distinct devices right now – both the traditionally-designed older iPhones (and all of the “Home” button-centric functionality that comes with them) and the iPhone X. In the long-term, this means that if you’re not already thinking about rebuilding your user experience from the ground up to account for the fact that everything is now controlled by touch… now is absolutely the time to start.

Whatever the successor to the iPhone X looks like will NOT have a physical “Home” button. Likewise, the notch probably isn’t going anywhere, either. Taking the time to address these design concerns now will prevent them from becoming significant challenges to be overcome in the future. If anything, mobile app developers should take a note from Apple itself. iOS 11 supports both devices with a “Home” button and those without. All of the same features and functions are there, just controlled in two entirely different ways depending on the end user’s device.

This is the same mentality mobile app developers need to start taking today to get ready for whatever Apple has in store for the future – and beyond. Likewise, the iPhone has always been a device that other manufacturers have looked to for inspiration for almost as long as it has been around. Apple may be the first to remove nearly all of the physical buttons from a device, but rest assured they won’t be the last.

 

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Image by freepik.com.