By David Hamilton

Almost a week after the Apple faithful collectively gasped at the first evidence that the iPhone’s red “end call” button might soon be vacating its center position to take up residence one column to the right, it looks like it might have been mostly a false alarm.

The initial shock followed the release of last week's test, or beta, version of iOS 17, the next major update of the iPhone’s operating software. That's where users first saw the end-call button, which has traditionally lived in splendid isolation centered well below function buttons such as “mute,” “keypad” and “speaker,” instead joining its peers and taking a more assimilated position in the lower right-hand corner of a six-button block.

Now, though, images of the latest iOS 17 beta shared by multiple media sites shows the red button right back in the center of the phone dialpad, pretty close to where it’s long staked out its territory. But it's still not alone; now it's in the second row, center seat of that six button block, where it appears to be daring you to try hanging up without also opening the keypad or accidentally adding another participant to your call.

To be fair, it's always difficult to draw firm conclusions from beta software releases, which are intended both to help engineers hunt down bugs and to gauge user reaction to changes large and small. So they're a bit experimental by nature, and some experiments fare better than others.

But we don't have much choice but to speculate whether the end-call button's wanderings have come to an end. Apple typically doesn't comment on its design process — or much of anything else — and did not reply to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Share:
More In Technology
Robotics Automation Technology Company Symbotic, Aiming to Transform Supply Chains, Debuts on Nasdaq
Robotics automation technology company Symbotic made its market debut on the Nasdaq via a SPAC merger with SVF Investment Corp. 3, a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of SoftBank Investment Advisers. Symbotic rang the Opening Bell at the Nasdaq to celebrate the occasion this morning. Its debut on Wall Street comes amid an urgent need for logistics solutions, as it aims to reimagine supply chains with its A.I.-powered robotic and software platform. Tom Earnst, CFO of Symbotic, and Vikas Parekh, managing partner at Softbank Investment Advisors, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Elon Musk's World: Starlink IPO Delay, Twitter Data & BYD Batteries
Michelle Castillo joined Closing Bell to break down Elon Musk's announcement to SpaceX employees that the Starlink internet business might not see itself as an IPO until 2025, Twitter planning to hand over the user data he requested as a condition of the acquisition, and Warren Buffet-backed Chinese EV company BYD stating it will be supplying batteries to Tesla "very soon."
Meta to Attend Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
Meta announced its plans to join the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This is leaving businesses and customers wondering what the tech giant has in store for the event. Nicola Mendelsohn, the vice president of the global business group at Meta, joined Cheddar News to preview what the tech giant will discuss at this year's festival. "We're going to be showcasing more about reels. We're going to be talking about our commerce solutions, are messaging solutions, and of course, the method of us speaking of new ways to kind of connect with customers," she said.
Protecting Your Small Business From Cyber Attack
Paul Tracey, Founder & CEO of Innovative Technologies, and author of 'Delete The Hacker Playbook' and 'Cyber Storm', joins Cheddar to discuss the most effective ways to protect small businesses from cyber attacks, the labor shortage's effects on cybercrime, and how businesses and employees can stay cyber secure while working from home.
JWST's Gregory Robinson Expects to See 'Universe Different' in New Images
NASA has announced that the first official full-color images will be beamed back to Earth from the James Webb Telescope on July 12. Gregory L. Robinson, the director of the James Webb Space Telescope Program in the NASA Science Mission Directorate, joined Cheddar News to discuss the anticipated image drop. “We expect to see the universe different," he said. "Webb will allow us to see much, much clearer and deeper into the universe."
The Rise of Quantum Computing
Dave Burg, EY Americas Cybersecurity Leader, joins Cheddar News to discuss the rise of quantum computing and how it can compromise existing security measures at play today, and what the timeline looks like for quantum computing to become a reality.
Load More