iPhone 15 Pro 'Buttonless Design' Rumors: Everything We Know

The iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a "buttonless design" thanks to additional Taptic Engines, according to multiple corroborated reports, so what do we know about the change so far?

iPhone 15 Pro Blue Feature
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to report that the volume and power buttons on this year's two high-end iPhone models will adopt a solid-state design, similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 7's home button, replacing a mechanical button design that physically depresses. Apple uses a similar method for its Mac trackpads, which do not physically move and simply mimic the feeling of being pressed with small vibrations.

The new iPhones will reportedly feature additional Taptic Engines on the internal left and right sides to provide physical feedback to users, making it seem as though they are pressing real buttons. The change means that the number of Taptic Engines in each ‌iPhone‌ will increase from one to three.

Barclays subsequently appeared to corroborate Kuo's report, saying that Apple supplier Cirrus Logic may have hinted at ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models getting haptic buttons in 2023 – something Kuo later noted with specific mention of Cirrus Logic benefiting from Apple orders to bring the feature about this year. Analyst Jeff Pu has similarly said that the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models will feature solid-state volume and power buttons with haptic feedback thanks to two extra Taptic Engines, meaning that there seems to be a growing consensus among analysts about the change.

Taptic Engine iPhone 6sThe Taptic Engine in the ‌iPhone‌ 6S – the first ‌iPhone‌ model to feature the component.

Apple was rumored to be planning to transition the Apple Watch to solid-state buttons several years ago, but the switch never took place. At the time, it was said that solid-state buttons would improve water resistance and take up less internal space, but it is not clear if that would be the case for the ‌iPhone‌ since sufficient space for two more Taptic Engines will be required.

It is as yet unclear how the new haptic buttons will work through cases, especially if they require direct touch contact. Likewise, there will need to be solutions to accommodate device recovery in situations the ‌iPhone‌ may not be working as expected.

‌iPhone‌ rumors from 2021 suggested Apple could move back to round volume buttons like the ‌iPhone‌ 4, 4S, 5, and 5S models, so it seems plausible that such a change could finally occur this year hand-in-hand with the switch to solid-state buttons. Round buttons would not only have a larger surface area for the touch contact required for haptic buttons, but would also be visibly different from any ‌iPhone‌ models in recent years to overtly flag the presence of the new feature. Leaked iPhone 15 Pro schematics do not clearly show whether the device will have round or oblong volume buttons.

Last year, Apple stressed that enabling iOS 16's "keyboard haptics" feature could drain battery life when enabled, and the feature is off by default. Any hardware or software feature on an ‌‌iPhone‌‌ obviously consumes battery life, but the fact that Apple felt it was worth explicitly mentioning for keyboard haptic feedback may indicate that the additional power the Taptic Engine uses is relatively significant. As such, the battery life impact to power two extra Taptic Engines and hundreds of additional daily uses in the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ remains an open question.

The iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus are expected to retain traditional clickable volume and power buttons, so it seems likely that Apple will have to tout some kind of meaningful improvement or new functionality to successfully upsell customers to the buttonless design. The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are also rumored to feature a titanium frame, a USB-C port, new Sony image sensors, periscope telephoto camera technology, 8GB of memory, a 3nm "A17 Bionic" chip, and more.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro

Top Rated Comments

cocky jeremy Avatar
15 months ago
What we KNOW about the iPhone 15: Nothing.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
15 months ago
I miss the classic 3D Touch. Apple needs to consider bringing back the 3D Touch on the iPhone 15 line up. It had a premium feel to it.

https://www.macrumors.com/guide/haptic-touch-vs-3d-touch-whats-the-difference/
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
15 months ago
How is this going to work with cases? With gloves in the winter?
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lurch92 Avatar
15 months ago

What we KNOW about the iPhone 15: Nothing.
It always astounds me the amount of people that come to MacRumours to shoot down rumours. It's not MacPeerReviewedFacts, you do know that right?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
15 months ago

How is this going to work with cases? With gloves in the winter?
Introducing Apple Finger Cots. (Exclusively made for the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max) Available: September 2023.

No more gloves. But you will be needing this. It's much more efficient! They are very popular in Asian markets.

Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
15 months ago

This is like how car manufacturers replaced actual tactile buttons with touch sensitive controls which make them difficult to use while driving. I hope they keep the buttons.
100% Agree. I honestly prefer classic iPhone 4/4S buttons. They look simple and elegant. Not really a fan of Buttonless design. It reminds me of Touch Bar.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
apple wallet drivers license feature

Apple Said iPhone Driver's Licenses Would Expand to These 8 U.S. States… Two Years Ago

Thursday March 14, 2024 7:33 am PDT by
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
OLED iPad Air

iPad Air Next on Apple's OLED Tablet Roadmap Following iPad Pro

Friday March 15, 2024 3:30 am PDT by
The iPad Air will be the next Apple tablet to adopt OLED display panel technology following its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, according to an updated forecast from research firm Omdia (via The Elec). "In 2028, we expect the iPad Air to go OLED as well, with the iPad Air using single-stack and the iPad Pro using two-stack tandem OLEDs," said Omdia researcher Kang Min-soo, speaking on...
Walmart MacBook Air M1

Walmart Begins Selling MacBook Air With M1 Chip for $699 in U.S.

Friday March 15, 2024 6:57 am PDT by
Walmart today announced that it has started selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip in the U.S., with pricing set at a very reasonable $699. The laptop can be ordered now on Walmart.com, and it will be available soon at select Walmart stores. This is the first time that customers can purchase a Mac that is sold directly by Walmart, the company said in a press release. Some other retailers...