Apple Orders Capacitive Button Components Allegedly for iPhone 16

[MacRumors]

Apple has ordered a large number of capacitative button components from a Taiwan supplier that are allegedly for use in the upcoming iPhone 16 series, claims a new report out of Asia.

Image credit: Unbox Therapy​

According to the Economic Daily News, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering won the order, which is said to include system-in-a-package (SIP) modules that will be used to integrate capcative components with two Taptic Engine motors, one on either side of the iPhone.

The claim in the report is that Apple will replace the existing physical buttons on both sides of the iPhone 15 with capacitive versions that will provide iPhone 16 users with haptic feedback. The latter type of button detects pressure and emulates the press of a physical button via a haptic (or Taptic) engine which generates vibrations.

Apple may well have ordered the buttons in preparation for future production plans, but this does not necessarily mean that they are destined for use in this year's iPhone 16 models.

The earliest known prototypes of the ‌iPhone 16‌ were thought to include haptic power and volume buttons. Project Bongo, as it was known internally, was a redesign of the volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15. However, it was scrapped in 2023 following unresolved technical issues, according to MacRumors' sources. After the cancelation of the Bongo project, Apple moved back to mechanical buttons for the ‌iPhone 16‌.

As a result, most rumors suggest that iPhone 16 models will have all-mechanical buttons, and this includes the rumored addition of a fourth button. According to The Information, Apple will add a new "Capture Button" to all iPhone 16 models, but the button is expected to be mechanical rather than capacitive, and yet it will be able to respond to pressure and touch.

The button will be used for taking photos and videos, and iPhone users will reportedly be able to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, focus with a light press, and activate a recording with a more forceful press.

Today's report claims the capacitive components will enter volume production in the third quarter of this year, which is unusually late in terms of Apple's typical initial iPhone production run, so the order may be for the iPhone 17 lineup rather than this year's upcoming models. That said, as we saw with the ‌iPhone 15‌ series, things can change fairly far into the process, so watch this space.

Article Link: Apple Orders Capacitive Button Components Allegedly for iPhone 16

 

[madmin]

So could BE for the SE...

( the forgotten iPhone )

 

[senttoschool]

I wonder if the iPhone is going through the Touch Bar era of the Mac when Apple was trying to differentiate the Mac through gimmicks. Of course, the true innovation for Macs didn't arrive until Apple Silicon.

Make everything touch. Remove all physical buttons. Reduce tactile feel.

 

[DMG35]

So the big innovation this year is that they have added another button?

Lame.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

To the detriment of the product, they will try to get rid of the volume buttons. They'll bring them back after three years of complaints, Stockholm syndrome style.

 

[maerz001]

So looking forward for highly engineered buttons to increase price by $100

 

[t0rqx]

I wonder if the iPhone is going through the Touch Bar era of the Mac where Apple was trying to differentiate the Mac through gimmicks.

Make everything touch. Remove all physical buttons. Reduce tactile feel.

It was a great way to force people to upgrade their faulty devices.

 

[klasma]

integrate capcative components with two Taptic Engine motors, one on either side of the iPhone.

I guess they ran out of other ways to reduce battery life.

 

[McWetty]

The iPhone has matured and Apple’s cash cow isn’t producing as much milk these days. So they have to iterate things for the sake of “new” until they can find a new product to replace it (and appease shareholders). This makes the rumor cycle very dry.

Even this tech nerd that wanted new stuff all the time is on a 3-yr iPhone cycle and a 5-yr Mac cycle.

 

[vegetassj4]

It will be the most pro button they've ever created. We're going to love it.

 

[klasma]

Make everything touch. Remove all physical buttons. Reduce tactile feel.

Also known as crapacative buttons.

 

[jb310]

I don't know if iPhones would genuinely benefit from them or not, but capacitive buttons just make me of early-2010s Android phones. 😅

 

[sunapple]

Then be so courageous to remove the buttons altogether. That will sell iPhone 19 all the better when buttons are reintroduced.

 

[mikethebigo]

capcative

 

[AppleTree01]

I don't care much for any waterproofing gains this may bring, but if it brings more physical controls to the phone that's a great perk. For example, this button potentially allows scrubbing while a video player is open. Another example is the ability to vertically scroll a webpage/article as you read it without blocking a portion of the screen with your thumb. I would also appreciate a physical control to control actions in Safari such as "back", "forward", "previous/next tab" as these are all minor inconveniences to use on a pro max screen today.

Oh and I just thought of another, imagine if the front camera tracked your eyes similar to the Vision Pro and there's a button which "taps" the location of your current focus. With that you would be able to use your phone with hardly any finger movement aside from keyboard usage

 

[Ctrlos]

So the big innovation this year is that they have added another button?

Lame.

As customers we need to escape this idea that there needs to be meaningful innovations on an annual basis.

Although it’s stolen wholesale from Sony and Lumia devices a shutter button makes sense for the worlds most popular camera.

 

[iamgalt]

So the big innovation this year is that they have added another button?

Lame.

Actually, they'll just be replacing the buttons with crap capacitive buttons, reminiscent of the insanely horrible home button on the iPhone 7.

I'm so glad I upgraded to the 15. Don't plan on updating for five years or so. Hopefully, by then, they'll get rid of the capacitive crap and return to actual buttons.

 

[boswald]

One more step closer to my portless, buttonless all-screen iPhone of my dreams! (I hope.)

 

[Hobbes42]

I will say that apples track record with capacitive buttons has been stellar. Their trackpads, and solid-state home-buttons, have been insanely well-engineered.

Just because of that I am hesitant to criticize before we all see exactly how new ones are implemented.

Though I’m not sure I love the idea of a new button in the place that the fattest part of my hand holds the phone, as a right-handed individual. If it’s flush and super good at detecting/rejecting accidental touches I think it could be good.

But I swear to god if I get even one incorrect input reaction from that button when I’m trying to do something else, I will be very annoyed and question the fundamental idea.

 

[zorinlynx]

Isn't this going to pretty much make cases that protect the buttons unusable? I never liked cases that just have holes for the buttons; dirt and such get in there and it looks like **** after a while. But if the buttons are capacitive, mechanical means of pushing them won't work.

 

[Spock]

I am not sure how I feel about losing all physical buttons on the device, won't putting a case on the device turn it back into a physical buttons? I don't know many people that go with a naked iPhone.

 

[Sasparilla]

Will be interesting to see which version ends up replacing them all with these. Considering how long ago the finger scanner was replaced (before faceID I believe), I thought this moment would have happened long ago.

 

[bodhisattva]

Will have to wait and see on this one. Seems some promising features possible, but also some huge inconveniences as well. Hope this year isn't one of those experimental years like the Touch Bar for function keys. Had promise, but in delivery just missed something.

 

[demwun]

Capacitive buttons are the worst, they feel like a broken regular button. I personally need that good healthy click.

 

[multipasser]

The guy that decided to put the 'powerbutton' on the right side instead on top should be fired (and more). Most annoying button placement ever!! how many times have you tried to take a picture and you close your phone? ffs