Apple’s New iPhones Don’t Have a Home Button, Use Facial Recognition and Swiping Instead

They say you can never go home again, and for Apple, that’s literally the case.

At the company’s latest keynote address, Apple CEO Tim Cook and friends unveiled the new series of iPhones, both enraging and delighting the internet with the updates.

Here’s what you need to know:

There Are Three New iPhones

Meet the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR.

The iPhone XS has the same look-and-feel of 2017’s iPhone X but with a jacked-up processor. It comes with a 5.8-inch super retina OLED display, while the XS Max boasts a 6.5-inch display, which Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller confirmed was "the biggest display ever on an iPhone". Both of them have a glass finish and are the most water and dust resistant models to date, able to survive under 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. "We even tested it in beer," added Schiller. Get them in Silver, Space Grey or Gold.

The XR, meanwhile, has a 6.1-inch LCD screen instead of the OLED display, and an aluminium frame rather than the stainless-steel frame of its siblings. The water-resistant technology is also not quite as high-tech. But, it’s the cheapest of the three new devices, relatively speaking, and comes in a range of colours.

Scroll down for prices, if you dare.

No Home Button (and No More Free Dongles For You)

In the most controversial announcement of the keynote, Apple has said they’ve jettisoned the home button, making good on a development that was first trialled on the iPhone X.

This means new iPhones have more surface area for screens. It also means, to unlock the phone, you’ll need to either use FaceID facial-recognition technology, or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Twitter had takes.

Why no home button?WHY NO HOME BUTTON @Apple

— Yovana Zepeda (@ZepedaYovana) September 12, 2018

RIP apple home button idk if ill ever get another iphone i cant do that face unlock man feds watchin

— Brian O'Malley (@moneyomalley) September 12, 2018

Almost as controversial was the reveal that Apple will no longer give you a free dongle to convert their lightning port headphones to a regular headphone jack. Sure, you can still buy them in stores, but ultimately Apple wants you to ditch the old 3.5mm headphones and upgrade (preferably to the AirPods).

Dual SIMS, Better Chips and Improved Cameras

For the first time, you’ll be able to swap between two SIM cards in the XS and XS Max, without having to awkwardly fish out the SIM tray first. This dual-SIM capability will be especially helpful for frequent international travellers… and anyone carrying on a secret double life, probably.

The new iPhones also have the A12 Bionic chip, which can apparently process five trillion operations per second. That certainly sounds impressive!

There’s also a new 12-megapixel dual camera system, which will allow you to change the depth of field in a photo after you’ve taken it. Neato.

Okay, What Will It Cost Me?

Brace yourself.

The XR goes for $1,229 (64GB and 128GB) and $1,479 (512GB).

The XS goes for $1,629 (64GB), $1,879 (256GB) and $2,199 (512GB).

And finally, the XS Max goes for $1,799 (64GB), $2,049 (256GB) and $2,369 (512GB).

You may or may not be relieved to hear those are the AU prices, so no need to convert them further.

I’m Not Buying a New Phone, But Can I Still Have a New iOS?

Of course.

If you’re not planning on updating, you can download the new iOS 12 from 17 September (but only if you have a device newer than iPhone 5.

It’ll speed up your phone, supposedly, and let you monitor how much time you spend looking at your device.

What About Apple Watches?

Oh yeah, the Apple Watch Series 4 range will place an emergency call if your heartbeat turns irregular, so that’s kinda cool/life-saving.

You can preorder the new range from 14 September and get them in your paws 21 September.

Header Image: Apple