• iPhone 6 (L), iPhone 6 Plus (R)

iPhone 6 (L), iPhone 6 Plus (R) (Photo : Reuters)

Since the Apple iPhone was launched in 2007, the Home button has been a key feature of the popular smartphones.  With release date rumors of the iPhone 6s and 7 recently trending, a new report indicates that the tech giant could be removing the physical button from its future models.

It seems that Apple Inc. is developing a new smartphone chip. The innovative tech will include fingerprint sensors that are activated directly from the device's touchscreen, based on the website DigiTimes.

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The Home key, which has become an iconic symbol of the iPhone, will probably stay on the gadgets for one or two more years. That is because the new Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI) technology is still under development.

The Taiwanese semiconductor's site notes that Apple will use in-house product design of the new chip, rather than purchase it from an outside supplier. This practice mirrors its CPUs.

The website states that the new TDDI single-chip tech will fit into future iPhone models that have displays that are "ultra-thin" and "ultra-narrow." That will thus eliminate the Home button.

The first TDDI was developed this year by Synaptics. It integrates touch tech with display technology, and was the result of a company buyout that Apple reportedly once considered.

Following the report that Apple would make its own TDDI chips, Synaptics' stock shares dropped 7 percent. That shows the weight of DigiTimes' report.

The Apple news implies that the "Home" button will likely still exist on future iPhone models, but it will not be a physical button, according to Financial Review. A vibrating virtual button is one option.

How Apple will replace the iPhone Home button is unclear. Some options for replacing the switching apps, waking, and locking functions include the Android-like side power button, and Apple Watch tech that detects a light and strong press of the touchscreen, according to Brisbane Times.

Several major smartphone makers have already removed physical buttons on the front side of their gadgets. This crates simpler, slimmer, and sturdier designs.