9to5Mac had previously reported that they were tipped off that the iPhone 7 would come with a force touch button, similar to that of the trackpad on the MacBook. Now a report from Business Insider quotes analysts from Cowen and Company who have more or less corroborated the previous claims about a force touch home button.
So what does this mean? This means that the home button will no longer actually depress, but rather a mechanism inside the phone will simulate the feeling of pressing the button, kind of like giving you tactile feedback. This is good news as it eliminates the need for a physical button, but it also raises some problems.
Right now resetting the iPhone involves the combination of the home button and power button, but if the physical button is removed, this means that a new way to reset the iPhone needs to be created. It’s not a particularly huge deal but for anyone who has ever had their iPhone freeze on them, having a way to reset the phone is always welcome.