Apple Patents Home Button with Joystick Mode
Submitted by Frank Macey on
Imagine a future iPhone centered around mobile gaming. Press the home button down hard enough, and a joystick pops up right out of the device. This is the scenario pictured in the Apple patent application titled "Multi-function input device".
The home button would have two modes, button mode (left) and joystick mode. In button mode, the home button would be flush with the surface of the iPhone and act as normal. Joystick mode pushes the home button up, so it rests above the display surface. This converts the button into a full-fledged gaming control stick for the thumb.