iPhone 7 New Home Button; Amazon to Subsidize Android Phones Via Ads

We had seen reports that the home button on the iPhone 7 would have haptic feedback. Now, a new wrinkle picked up by business insider.com says it will be a new Force Touch home button, and won’t be a moving, physical button…adding credence to the phone being more water resistant. The new home button will sit flush with the face of the phone, and a Force Touch motor inside the phone will provide the sensation that the button is being physically pushed. The home button has been one of the most common failure points on iPhones, and by ditching a physical button this year, it sets up the rumored ‘single sheet of glass’ iPhone 8 Jony Ive is wanting to release for the 10th anniversary next year.

Amazon says they are going to start offering Prime members what they call ‘significant discounts’ on certain Android phones…the trade-off being the ability to pre-install Amazon apps and show more lock screen ads on the phones. According to theverge.com, so far just the Motorola Moto G and Blu RD1 HD will be in the program, with more to be added later. You have to figure in the 100 bucks you’ve dropped for your Prime membership, but on the Moto G, the ads will cut the price on the unlocked phone from $200 to $150.