iPhone 15 Pro, renders suggest solid-state balance wheel. Since October 2022 the next iPhone 15 Pro 2023 are expected with solid-state buttons instead of the volume buttons and perhaps also for the power on and off buttons, a rumor corroborated by a supplier in November: now find further confirmation from the detailed rederings, which would indicate the arrival of a single solid-state rocker for the volume, as well as the abandonment of the two-position switch for the Mute function, replaced by a key.
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Apple typically uses two pins to connect each button to the chassis, but in the latest renders based on leaked CAD drawings of the iPhone 15 Pro, only two pins are shown in a single indentation where volume buttons are usually found. In contrast, standard iPhone 15 CAD-based renders show two separate slots with four pins total.
Making its own iPhone 15 Pro renderings and concept based on the leaked CADs, ZoneOfTech says it is “100% confident” that the iPhone 15 Pro will feature a long, unified volume button, then a solid-state rocker instead of two separate keys. Additionally, ZoneOfTech is equally certain that “the mute switch will also transition to a single button you can press, rather than the typical up and down switch.”
Rumors suggest Apple is adopting solid-state buttons with tactile feedback for power and volume controls on upcoming iPhone 15 Pro models, and it’s starting to look like a single unified solid-state rocker for volume will sense touch on the top edges. (“up”) and down (“down”), while a tactile mute button will replace the classic switch.
It’s unclear how the new tactile buttons will work across cases, especially if they require direct touch contact. Likewise, there will need to be device recovery solutions in situations where iPhone may not work as intended. On the bright side, solid-state button technology can improve protection against dust and water, as they don’t need physical mechanics, but do require extra hardware inside iPhone.
Apple is said to be adding two additional Taptic Engines to iPhone 15 Pro models to power solid-state buttons. Regular iPhone 15 models should keep the mechanical buttons instead.