Oliver Haslam on November 24, 2022, 5:50 pm

Supplier Hints At iPhone 15 Pro Solid-State Buttons

Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro could be getting solid-state power and volume buttons with a new report adding fuel to a fire already started by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo had already suggested that iPhone 15 Pro models wouldn’t have clicky buttons, with Apple choosing to have solid buttons that would react to touch and vibrate a motor to simulate a click.

Now, Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley believe that a component supplier has also hinted at the same thing.

Cirrus Logic is a company that makes parts designed for Apple’s Taptic Engine vibration motors and its CEO John Forsyth recently said that the company was working to “engage with a strategic customer” on new components for a smartphone next year.

MacRumors reports that the Barclays analysts only see that going one way.

When looking at potential use cases, the largest change in new iPhone models next year is the removal of the buttons, which would require additional drivers for the haptics engine, making it the most likely use case for new content.

The reason for solid-state buttons is simple — they won’t let any water in. Making an iPhone more water tight would ensure that people whose phones get wet run less risk of them breaking. Apple is also thought to be working on ditching a physical charging port for similar reasons, too.

If Apple follows its previous release cadence we can expect it to announce the iPhone 15 lineup, including the iPhone 15 Pro, in September of next year.