Numerous rumors have suggested that the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature several design changes. One such change, which has only recently come to light, is the possibility that the volume controls on the side of the device will be a single unified rocker button.
Apple to ditch mechanical buttons with iPhone 15 Pro
According to a recent tweet by YouTuber ZoneOfTech, Apple may use a single long unified button for volume controls on the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models. The renders based on leaked iPhone 15 Pro CAD drawings show only two pins in a single indentation where the volume buttons are typically located. This is in contrast to the separate slots with four pins that can be seen on CAD-based renders of the regular iPhone 15.
ZoneOfTech has created their own iPhone 15 Pro concept based on the leaked CADs and is now “100% sure” that the iPhone 15 Pro will feature one long unified volume button instead of two separate ones. Additionally, ZoneOfTech is also confident that “the mute switch will also switch to a singular press button, rather than the up and down switch that we have now.”
Rumors suggest that Apple is switching to solid-state buttons with haptic feedback for the power and volume controls on the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models. It appears that a single unified solid-state volume button will detect touch on both the top and bottom ends, while a haptic mute button will replace the classic switch.
It remains 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 where the iPhone may not be working as expected. However, the use of solid-state button technology can improve protection against dust and water, as it eliminates the need for a physical depressing mechanic, although it does require extra hardware inside the iPhone.
Apple is rumored to be adding two additional Taptic Engines to the iPhone 15 Pro models to power the solid-state buttons. This is a significant change since current iPhone models only have a single Taptic Engine for haptic feedback. It is also believed that the regular iPhone 15 models will retain mechanical buttons.
