Leaked iPhone 15 Pro images back up solid state button rumor

Render of new buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models

Apple leaker ShrimpApplePro has shared new iPhone 15 Pro renders showing a unified volume and mute buttons.

The iPhone 15 Pro versions are anticipated to include a single, long button for controlling the volume rather than two buttons for volume up and volume down. And, though Apple has included a mute switch since the original iPhone, upcoming models might feature a mute button.

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The buttons!
Source in video pic.twitter.com/sxy9GaNCre
— ShrimpApplePro (@VNchocoTaco) March 20, 2023

If accurate, the CAD images from ShrimpApplePro validate a rumor that said Apple would replace all physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models with solid-state versions. Instead of physically moving, the buttons would provide haptic feedback from two additional Taptic Engines inside the iPhone to simulate the feeling of movement, similar to the MacBook's Force Touch trackpad.

"ShrimpApplePro" has a reasonably good leak history, including predictions about the Apple Watch Series 8 design. They also shared a video earlier in March showing that all iPhone 15 models would get the Dynamic Island and a slightly curved bezel.

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33 Comments

retrogusto

said about 1 year ago

JP234 said:

To anyone who's accidentally pushed a button on his phone, why does changing the mute switch to a button benefit the user. Seems like it was done just to benefit Apple. You're going to mute your phone without knowing you did it, you know you are, and wonder why you and Siri are no longer on speaking terms.

Hopefully just a rumor. It would be very frustrating to no longer be able to look at the switch to see if the ringer was off or not, and it’s unclear if this would also mean that I couldn’t adjust volume without taking the phone out of my pocket, but that would be a meaningful step in the wrong direction too, at least for me. And as you note, there would be no clear advantage for the user. Someone might mention something like increased water resistance, but the number of people who really need to take their phone deep underwater is…pretty limited.

9secondkox2

said about 1 year ago

I SOOOOO hope not!

im already accidentally bumping the volume up when watching a movie just by holding the phone.

Now I can do it with the grace of my finger?

God help us…

just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

Stymyx

said about 1 year ago

9secondkox2 said:

I SOOOOO hope not!

im already accidentally bumping the volume up when watching a movie just by holding the phone.
Now I can do it with the grace of my finger?

God help us…

just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

Agreed 100%. I really like and use many Apple products, but this just seems like another poor design decision if it's true. As it is, I can hold my iPhone in landscape mode to watch a video with the top of the phone facing left, and I can feel the volume buttons under my left thumb without actually pressing them. Same if I hold it in landscape mode in the other direction, with the top of the phone pointing right. In that case, I can feel the sleep/wake button under my right thumb without actually pressing it. Apple is always talking about the "user experience" being Number One, but IF the volume and sleep/wake buttons become capacitive touch buttons, that would be a lousy user experience for me. And if people complain about it, I can just imagine Apple saying "You're holding it wrong". 😐

charlesn

said about 1 year ago

9secondkox2 said:

I SOOOOO hope not!

im already accidentally bumping the volume up when watching a movie just by holding the phone.
Now I can do it with the grace of my finger?

God help us…

just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

First: I'm sure that if mute becomes a solid state button, it will require a "long push" or some similar intentional action to activate and deactivate, which solves the "accidental" mute or unmute issue.

Second: if you've ever used a haptic trackpad on a Macbook, you know that a "click" isn't triggered just by laying your finger on the trackpad. You still have to push it, and even though it's not an actual mechanical push, it requires about the same amount of force. Same here. I'm sure the solid state haptic button will not accidentally activate any more than the current mechanical buttons. This is years-old technology for Apple and they know what they're doing. It will also result in greater water resistance for the iPhone and greater reliability of these controls.

I'm really loving the slight curve to the edges, which split the difference between flat-sided and the fully curved edges of iPhone 11 and prior generations. These should give the iPhone a more premium, polished and less slab-like look.

bytor

said about 1 year ago

If I remember correctly, Jobs was adamant about having a switch because it was easy to use and you could always tell by a glance whether the sound was on or off. It seems that in recent years there has been a lack of hyper focus when it comes to design and use. While Cook has done a formidable job, Apple needs to bring back some of the vision and standards that were in place back in the day. Bring back Scott Forstall...