According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may be planning to remove the last remaining buttons from the iPhone.
Just a month after the introduction of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, the predictions for the new generation devices (iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro) have already begun to emerge. The latest rumor is based on information from Apple’s suppliers; At least that’s what Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who owns the tweet, says. Rumor has it that Apple will remove the last remaining physical buttons on both iPhone 15 models. They will be replaced by solid state button design.
Solid-state inputs don’t move at all, rather than pressing similar mechanical buttons, meaning they’re basically just touch-sensitive surfaces.
In fact, this won’t be the first time Apple has used solid-state design for its buttons. Before it was almost completely disabled, the home button on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 was a non-mechanical input, and the same design is still used by Apple in the iPhone SE (2022).
To help these new buttons feel like mechanical buttons, Kuo said it will use “haptic” engines to mimic the feel of a real button press, similar to what Apple has done for years with its Touch ID button.
Of course, as with all rumors, it is useful to approach this rumor with some skepticism. Until Tim Cook hits the Apple stage in Cupertino, it’s impossible to say for sure what the next iPhone will look like. In fact, considering that Apple skipped some numbers such as iPhone 9 before, it is not possible to say with certainty that the new phone will be called iPhone 15.
But Kuo has a pretty solid track record of predicting Apple’s next technology, so we can keep what he’s saying to our ears.