Home button lifespan?

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Level 1

31 points

Home button lifespan?

I'm worried about the home button breaking on my iPad Air, I use the button a lot and possibly more than the average user. I use it to exit apps, multitask, open Siri, etc. Recently I've noticed the button feels a bit different and is lagged in terms of response at times so I have a few questions.

1. How durable is the home button on the iPad? (specifically first generation iPad Air)

2. With normal use under everyday situations, how many presses can it withstand before wearing out and/or breaking?

3. What is the typical lifespan of the home button in years?

iOS 7.1

Posted on Mar 14, 2014 2:23 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 14, 2014 2:31 PM in response to Lexdexia

I can't tell you specifically about the lifespan of the home button on the iPad Air, since it has only been out since 01 Nov, 2013 (4.5 months). I can tell you that my iPod Touch 1st generation's home button is still working fine, The one on my iPod Touch 3rd generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPad 2, and iPad Air are all working just as well as they did when I bought them new.

My wife's iPhone 4 had some issues with it's home button, but I think it has to do with the fact that she stuffs her iPhone in her pants pocket that is full of other things (including lots of pocket lint). I have had to remove lint/debris from the charging port on her iPhone 4 more than once, and even once on her iPhone 5. Her iPhone 4 home button started not responding to all presses, and I think it was because that she had gotten pocket lint in the device and it was preventing the button from completing the circuit/button press properly. The fact that she replaced her iPhone 4 about 1.25 years ago and someone else is still using her old iPhone 4 today tells me that it isn't too bad...

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Answer 2

varjak paw

Level 10

182,818 points

Mar 14, 2014 2:28 PM in response to Lexdexia

There are no objective data I know of, so all you're going to get are user opinions which will carry no statistical weight. The Air having only been out for a few months, it's not possible to talk about lifespan over years for that model, but I've had iPads since the first model was released including now an iPad Air, and we have a number of iPad and iPhone users here as well, and to my knowledge none have suffered any problems with the Home button. YMMV.

Regards.

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