Apple "Function Area"

This is intriguing because it seems similar to a feature the Qualper phone had of a button-free area below the screen. When touching the home button area of the Qualper phone, a circle would light up and there was haptic feedback.

Interesting, something to watch. (Could simply be a product provided by some other vendor to manufacturers of phones.)

9to5Mac

According to a new investor note from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 will adopt a new “function area” at the bottom the display. This feature is possible due to the near bezel-less design of the iPhone 8 and subsequent bump in screen size to 5.8-inch.

The function area is said to be located in the same area as the current Home button and will thus replace Touch ID. Kuo notes, however, that Apple plans to make up for the lack of Touch ID with new biometric technologies that will be able to securely offer similar functionalities as Touch ID. While Kuo doesn’t dive into specifics, features such as facial recognition have been rumored before.

Continuously Updated Guide to iPhone 8

Apple may Ditch Home Button