New iPads and iPhones are likely to have no home button, leaks suggest

Getting rid of the iconic button will clear up space on the iPads, so that they can be almost entirely screen

An attendee looks at the new 9.7' iPad Pro during an Apple special event at the Apple headquarters on March 21, 2016 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO announced the iPhone SE and a 9.7' version of the iPad Pro (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The new iPads could completely get rid of the iconic home button on their bottom, according to a new leak.

The tablets will as a result be able to get rid of the bezel that goes around the side of the phone and make its front almost entirely screen, according to the report. The redesign will mean that the bigger iPad Pro will be able to keep the same screen size but only take up the same amount of space as the 9.7-inch models, according to the same report.

It has long been rumoured that Apple is looking to get rid of the home button, but it was expected that would come with the next version of the iPhone. That handset, which will make the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, is expected to be made entirely of glass and have no buttons on its front.

But it appears that Apple’s next iPad will be the first to try out not having a home button on its front. The tablet has always had a looser relationship with its button, allowing users to have it any way up and letting people perform the same features as the button by using gestures on the screen.

It will likely use many of the same software tricks when the home button is gone completely. And the other features – like Touch ID – will be performed by a home button embedded in the screen.

Getting rid of the home button in the new iPad will allow Apple to get customers ready for the new iPhone. The tablet’s expected to come out in the first half of 2017, ahead of the new iPhone in September or October of next year.

The iPhone 7 already got rid of the home button as an actual button, instead using vibrations to make it feel like a button is being pressed. It’s thought that was also a step towards the ultimate removal of the button entirely.