Apple Delaying Solid-State Buttons Until iPhone 16 Pro Due to 'Design Issues'
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday indicated that iPhone 15 Pro models will no longer have solid-state buttons due to "unresolved technical issues before mass production." He now expects the buttons to have a "traditional" design.
The change in plans was first reported by tech analysts Jeff Pu and Shelly Chou. In a research note with investment firm Haitong International Securities on Tuesday, the analysts said they believe the solid-state buttons will be pushed back to the iPhone 16 series in 2024 due to unspecified "design issues." As a result, they said the iPhone 15 Pro models will not be equipped with two additional Taptic Engines, as previously rumored.
With a solid-state design, the buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro would not have moved when pressed. Instead, two additional Taptic Engines inside the iPhone would have provided haptic feedback to simulate the feeling of movement, similar to the Home button introduced with the iPhone 7 and the Force Touch trackpad on newer MacBooks.
It was also rumored that iPhone 15 Pro models would be equipped with a unified volume button, and that the Ring/Silent switch would become a multipurpose Action button, but it is not entirely clear if those changes will still occur. Apple could proceed with these changes with clickable buttons, but the other possibility is that Apple sticks with two volume buttons and a Ring/Silent switch until the iPhone 16 Pro next year.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 Pro at a September event. Other features rumored for the device include a titanium frame, USB-C port, A17 Bionic chip, thinner bezels around the display, faster Wi-Fi 6E, increased RAM, and more.
Popular Stories
Apple is "shaking up its color palette" for its iPhone 16 lineup this year, according to well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Early iPhone 16 Pro dummy models via Sonny Dickson According to Gurman, the iPhone 16 Pro models will come in a Gold Titanium to replace Blue Titanium, while the Black, White, and Natural Titanium options that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro will remain...
iOS 18 has been in beta testing for nearly three months, and the software update will finally be released for all compatible iPhones soon. Apple should reveal iOS 18's exact release date during its September 9 event, with the most likely possibility being Monday, September 16. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18. Note that Apple Intelligence is not coming...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 series is expected to launch on September 20 and will compete in a quickly evolving smartphone market, and with some notable upgrades rumored, the new models could see price changes compared to previous years. Successive iPhone models always come with new features and hardware upgrades, but Apple typically does not increase the retail prices as a result....
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared his final expectations for Apple's "It's Glowtime" event, providing some new tidbits and clarifications about the new devices set to be announced on Monday. iPhone 16 Pro Along with larger 6.3- and 6.9-inch display sizes, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have bezels that are "now about a third slimmer" for a "sleeker overall look." The...
Apple did not mention CarPlay when it unveiled iOS 18 in June, but the update includes a handful of new features for the in-car iPhone system. iOS 18 includes some changes to the Messages app, Settings app, and Siri on CarPlay. The update should be widely released later in September. Below, we recap CarPlay's key new features on iOS 18. 1. Contact Photos in Messages App iOS 18 adds...
The Apple Watch Series 10 will include a new sleep apnea detection feature, but it may not be available as soon as the new model launches, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Sleep apnea detection, which builds on the watch's existing sleep tracking, will attempt to determine if a wearer has sleep apnea and then suggest further testing with a medical professional. Gurman had expressed...
