Summary:
Apple has axed solid-state Power and Volume buttons for its upcoming iPhone 15 Pro series, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
“My latest survey indicates that due to unresolved technical issues before mass production, both high-end iPhone 15 Pro models (Pro & Pro Max) will abandon the closely-watched solid-state button design and revert to the traditional physical button design,” the analyst said.
Up until now, Apple was reportedly planning on replacing physical, mechanical Power and Volume buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro with solid-state alternatives. Fellow tech analysts Jeff Pu and Shelly Chou said in a recent research note that Apple could delay solid-state buttons to next year’s iPhone 16 lineup (via MacRumors).
Instead of depressing when pressed like their mechanical counterparts, the solid-state buttons would have been touch-sensitive surfaces. The solid-state buttons would have provided haptic feedback for registered actions, much like the capacitive Home button introduced with the iPhone 7, using two additional Taptic Engines that have now also been nixed.
According to Kuo, the switch isn’t too last-minute since the iPhone 15 lineup is still in the Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) phase of its development cycle.
What’s more, Apple and its production partners are already quite familiar with physical buttons, so Kuo noted that the change will actually simplify the development process and shouldn’t affect the mass production and shipment schedule.
It’s unclear at this point how the change will impact Apple’s rumoured rework of the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons into one single button, but recently leaked CAD renders and a dummy unit from earlier this week have all had a unified Volume rocker.
In addition, it also remains to be seen if Apple will still go through with redesigning the Mute switch into a “pressing type” button that could have also functioned as an Apple Watch-Ultra like Action button, as previously rumoured.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 lineup in September. The iPhone 15 Pro has also been rumoured to feature a next-generation A17 Bionic chip, a titanium frame, camera upgrades, the thinnest bezels ever on an iPhone, an improved design with rounded edges for increased comfort, and a USB-C port.
