The iPhone has been phasing out old technologies year by year, or functions that Apple considers unnecessary. The first generation iPhone omits physical buttons in the industry. For example, in 2016, the iPhone 7 canceled the design of the headphone jack, and until 2017, it began to remove the iPhone home screen button Touch ID fingerprint recognition. key. However, from the original iPhone to the latest iPhone models, it is found that Apple still retains the physical iPhone mute button, which has also attracted the attention of many people. Why has the iPhone mute button not been removed by Apple? This article will take you to understand the reasons behind it and analyze why Apple insists on not removing the iPhone mute button.
iPhone mute button design origin
Apple has always retained the iPhone mute button. The origin can be traced back to the design of the first generation iPod. Apple added a “Hold switch” to the top of the iPod. When it is switched to orange, it can enter the Hold mode (lock mode), which allows any button and The scroll wheel did not respond at all in an instant, mainly to avoid accidental touches caused by putting it in the pocket or holding it in the hand.
When Apple designed the iPhone, it still put the iPod physical Hold switch design on the side of the iPhone, but the function is different. Since the iPhone needs to slide to enter the main screen under the unlock screen, it will not cause accidental touches. In the end, Apple will The switch is changed to the iPhone mute button function, which directly switches the sound of the control system with one button, and the orange label will still be displayed following it is turned on.
On the contrary, there is no mute button on the iPod touch, mainly because this device is mostly used for audio and video entertainment, unlike the iPhone, which will be disturbed by incoming calls or SMS notifications.
Why Apple designed the iPhone mute button
Apple’s iPhones insist on retaining the mute button, mainly because before the launch of smart phones, most mobile phones do not have a mute button function. To mute the phone, most of the methods are to keep pressing the volume down button to the minimum to turn off the sound to mute. It is not suitable for use on the iPhone. The reason is that using the volume key to turn the iPhone’s sound to the lowest level will cause all ringtones, media, and notification sounds to be muted, resulting in silence for listening to music and watching videos. You need to adjust the volume back and forth frequently. The sound makes it more inconvenient to use, so the independent iPhone mute button becomes very important.
Why Apple Won’t Remove the iPhone’s Mute Button
For some people, the physical iPhone mute button is considered redundant, so why didn’t Apple remove the iPhone mute button? It is good to directly use the built-in control of the system to mute, and it can also strengthen the dustproof and waterproof function.
From the first-generation iPhone to the new full-screen iPhone, Apple still insists on retaining the “mute button”, which is one of the unique features of the iPhone. After all, most Android smartphones except OnePlus (one plus mobile phone) do not have it. The mute button function is designed. To mute, you need to slide out the control center through the screen to turn on the mute mode, which is relatively unintuitive and more troublesome than the iPhone.
Apple has insisted on retaining the iPhone mute button for many years, mainly because the mute button is used in many scenarios, and the physical button is more intuitive than the screen touch, and it can also achieve blind operation (no need to see it directly), such as in a meeting or When watching a movie, you don’t need to take out your mobile phone to light up the screen of the mobile phone, you can directly press the mute button with your finger, or when you go to bed at night, the mobile phone frequently jumps out of the APP notification sound, and the iPhone can immediately enter the silent mode and automatically change to vibrate. Avoid interruptions from incoming calls, text messages, or app notifications, unless it’s an alarm clock or an important contact’s incoming call.
In addition to being able to operate the iPhone mute button control even in the pocket, users can also determine whether the phone is currently in silent mode without turning on the screen under the orange mark. I know this is the mute button.
Apple also believes that mobile phones should bring users a better experience, simplifying operations as much as possible, saving a lot of operating time, even if the iPhone has more and more functions over time, it is quite easy to make the physical buttons disappear. Before that , or to consider whether there is a better solution for experience and interaction, Apple may remove the iPhone mute button.
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