The forthcoming high-end iPhone 15 phones could be seen sporting solid-state buttons that might go on to replace the clickable volume and power buttons currently in use.
According to noted supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who first broke the story, the solid-state buttons will likely be included in only the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models. What that means is that the regular iPhone models would be seen continuing with the same clickable buttons currently being used.
Kuo said the switch to solid-state buttons on the high end iPhone 15 models is akin to the iPhone 7 incorporating the solid-state Home button that replaced the clickable Home button that was used in all preceding iPhone models prior to it.
Kuo further added the move to adopt solid-state buttons could be used as a marketing pitch to highlight enhanced durability for the iPhone 15 models.
There are going to be Taptic Engine vibration motors that would work to simulate the feel of a button clicking. This will let users have an idea of whether a press is effective and that they need not press further or do it repeatedly. It is going to be basically the same technology that has been in use since the iPhone 7 which was the first to replace the clickable Home button with a solid-state button.
With that being the case, it is going to be three Taptic Engines that would be used in an iPhone henceforth in place of the single such component being used so far.
Kuo speculates that is going to be good news for component manufacturers Luxshare ICT and AAC Technologies which supply the Taptic Engines to Apple at the moment. Luxshare ICT and AAC Technologies have come to be designated as the first and second suppliers respectively and will have to ramp up their production if there is indeed a three-fold increase in demand for the Taptic Engines as is being speculated.
Meanwhile, in another related development, iPhone 15 due out next year is also going to incorporate the USB-C port in place of the proprietary Apple lightning port. This would make for a significant change as this is the first time an iPhone would be seen sporting the USB C port. Apple has been resisting demands to offer the same on the iPhone even though the same has made it to all iPad models already.
