Rumors of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro getting solid-state buttons may be firmly put to bed already, but now it appears we won't see these new buttons on the iPhone 16 either.
Jeff Pu, analyst for Haitong International Securities (via MacRumors) says the chance of solid-state buttons on the iPhone 16 is "low." This is despite Pu previously suggesting the buttons would turn up on next year's Pro iPhones.
It was initially rumored that the iPhone 15 Pro models would swap out the familiar traditional volume and power buttons, plus the mute slider, for immovable solid-state buttons. But more recently, the company thought to be building the haptic feedback for the rumored buttons suggested that this would not be happening this year, which is as close to confirmation as we're likely to get until we see what the iPhone 15 series has in store this fall.
Solid-state buttons don't move, but instead offer the user haptic feedback to indicate you're interacting with one. If you used the iPhone SE (2022) or another recent iPhone with solid-state Touch ID/Home button, then you have a good idea of how this would work.
One button could still change
Although hopes for solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro seem to be thoroughly shattered, what we could still see on these models is an "Action Button.” This would replace the mute switch as a customizable input, similar to the Action Button already found on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Pu also predicts that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be getting more expensive for the first time since the Pro Max model's introduction. He doesn't tell us what the new price could be, but considering we're hearing the iPhone 15 Pro Max could introduce Apple's first periscope telephoto camera for enhanced zoom capabilities, chances are it'll be an extra $100 at least.
