The rumor mill has recently swirled with the expectation that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will have solid-state volume buttons with haptic feedback, similar to the Home Button introduced with iPhone 7. Now, it sounds like iPhone 15 Pro may not have the solid-state buttons after all due to manufacturing challenges.
Apple has reportedly scrapped plans to change the volume buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro. According to Haiton Tech analyst Jeff Pu, sources familiar with Apple’s supply chain have stated that the company may switch back to the classic volume button design on the iPhone 15 Pro since the new solution would have a much more complex design. Pu has stated that the new buttons would require three new haptics engines inside the iPhone.
It’s thought that the new solid-state buttons could end up being pushed out to the 2024 models to allow Apple more time to build the required components.
As a result, solid-state volume buttons may end up being pushed out to the 2024 iPhone models to give Apple more time to build the required parts.
It’s also uncertain whether this will also affect the new mute button, which is expected to gain new features with the redesign.
In addition, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has just corroborated Jeff Pu’s report about Apple switching back to the classic volume buttons instead of the new solid-state ones with iPhone 15 Pro. Kuo has stated that the iPhone 15 Pro is still in the EVT (Engineer Validation Test) stage, which means that Apple still has time to change the final design.
Kuo has said that removing the solid-state buttons “will simplify the development and testing process” and that this won’t affect the iPhone 15 launch schedule. However, this will hurt Cirrus Logic and AAC Technologies, both Apple suppliers that would provide parts for the new buttons.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.