iPhone 15 Pro may replace clicky volume and power buttons with solid-state buttons

[Eric]

I suppose the world is moving this way but I personally like some things as tactile buttons.

iPhone 15 Pro may replace clicky volume and power buttons with solid-state buttons

Apple could be planning to replace the clickable volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max next year with solid-state buttons. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared this detail, comparing it to when the iPhone 7 replaced the clickable Home button with a solid-state Home...

9to5mac.com

Kuo predicts this change will happen on the high-end iPhone models released in the second half of next year.

“My latest survey indicates that the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 & 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design,” Kuo predicts.

That means this is one change we could see on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max… or Ultra? Either way, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will stick to clicky buttons. This could be marketed as added durability for the higher-end iPhones. Let’s call that another point for the “Ultra” marketing possibility.

 

[Deleted member 215]

"Added durability"? How many people's dedicated volume buttons are failing?

This is a prime example of change for the sake of change. It's not actually an improvement. It's just different and "high-tech".

 

[Citysnaps]

"Added durability"? How many people's dedicated volume buttons are failing?

This is a prime example of change for the sake of change. It's not actually an improvement. It's just different and "high-tech".

I've had a power/lock button on a previous iPhone get flakey/intermittent. Fortunately that was just a couple months before a new release iPhone was available.

I'm withholding judgment until I can make my own evaluation. I suspect it will work fine, and probably great.

I still marvel at recent Apple laptop trackpads. With haptics and slight movement, I swear my trackpad clicks are depressing a real mechanical button underneath the surface. Apple nailed it on that.

 

[Cmaier]

"Added durability"? How many people's dedicated volume buttons are failing?

This is a prime example of change for the sake of change. It's not actually an improvement. It's just different and "high-tech".

My brand new iphone 14 pro max had a problem with its power button - it was mushy. It didn’t “click.” I went online and found this was a common problem, and could be solved by rubbing the sides of the button with hydrogen peroxide wipes. I tried it and it eventually worked.

I assume the new buttons would improve durability, and perhaps water/dust resistance.

 

[Andropov]

"Added durability"? How many people's dedicated volume buttons are failing?

This is a prime example of change for the sake of change. It's not actually an improvement. It's just different and "high-tech".

I don't think it happens as often now, but early iPhones (from around the iPhone 4 era) used to have problems with the physical buttons 'dying' after some time, especially home and power buttons. It was not uncommon to see people with AssistiveTouch enabled to work around a broken button.