iPhone 15 Pro Again Rumored to Feature Non-Moving Volume and Power Buttons, iPad Pro Could Follow

[compwiz1202]

I don’t really agree. The volume buttons are so close together that you can feel on which button you are by feeling if there’s another button next to it. Without the split, it would also be more easily confused with the power button (since they moved it from the top to the side). You’d have to feel for the ringer switch to be sure on which side you are.

This is one reason why I thought it would be cool for Face to work upside down too when they did landscape. Then you could unlock and quick flip if you had it upside down

 

[klasma]

Know what else has better water resistance, and eliminates moving parts that can wear out of time? Port-less iPhone with only MAGSAFE (Qi2)!

Death to USBC!

I’d like the equivalent of the original MagSafe (magnetic connector with direct connection, no induction). I’m using magnetic USB-C cables with some other devices (similar to this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BNKJK8B), but it would be nice if it didn’t require the dongle on the device.

 

[JM]

None of these rumors specify if they’re also planning on removing the vibrate/ring switch like they did on the iPad.

That would be a mistake. It’s nice to be able to silence the phone without looking at the screen.

As far as the power and volume buttons, I could care less so long as it feels the same and doesn’t use more battery life.

Wait a minute. The AirPods Pro have a swipe to adjust volume.

They could do this with volume buttons and mute switch.

Power button press, sure.

But SLIDING FOR VOLUME AND MUTE!

Calling it now.

 

[klasma]

This is one reason why I thought it would be cool for Face to work upside down too when they did landscape. Then you could unlock and quick flip if you had it upside down

I guess you’d be likely to obscure the Face ID sensor with your finger when swiping to unlock, when the phone is upside down.

 

[abdurrabb]

I'm optimistic this inclusion of an additional haptic motor will enable more nuanced, localized haptic feedback. I still dream of a day where each individual key on the virtual keyboard clicks

 

[klasma]

feels like media is unhappy about the lack of uproar in solid state buttons so they're trying again with "non movable buttons" in the headline.

It would be nice if you could actually move the buttons . No more accidental screenshots.

 

[Apple$]

This might increase the cost of cases to implement the "clicky" feel of the "button"" as a NEW feature of the cases.
Like:
Get the feeling back with the all new clicky, tactile buttons on our premium $55 case!

 

[compwiz1202]

Wait a minute. The AirPods Pro have a swipe to adjust volume.

They could do this with volume buttons and mute switch.

Power button press, sure.

But SLIDING FOR VOLUME AND MUTE!

Calling it now.

If they did sliding on one button, I would just want them to also allow tapping for finer control

 

[klasma]

Wait a minute. The AirPods Pro have a swipe to adjust volume.

They could do this with volume buttons and mute switch.

Power button press, sure.

But SLIDING FOR VOLUME AND MUTE!

Calling it now.

This affords less precise control though. Currently you have 1 button press = 3% volume change. You can immediately double or triple click depending on how much you want the volume to change. With touch controls, you always end up having to adjust repeatedly up and down to see where the volume lands at, and when you release your finger it registers as yet another change…

 

[jonnysods]

As long as it has the ringer switch so you can know that its muted without having to check the device!

 

[compwiz1202]

It would be nice if you could actually move the buttons . No more accidental screenshots.

Good point. At least now that would only happen if you grabbed it hard on the buttons.

 

[TechNutt]

None of these rumors specify if they’re also planning on removing the vibrate/ring switch like they did on the iPad.

That would be a mistake. It’s nice to be able to silence the phone without looking at the screen.

As far as the power and volume buttons, I could care less so long as it feels the same and doesn’t use more battery life.

Agreed! I care about functionality, design, longevity, and battery life.
Oh, and nice color choices.

Also, no more adjusting volume with gloves on.

Or wet / sweaty hands. How well does it work with them using AirPod Pros?? I don’t own any, yet.

I agree, the removal of the switch on iPad was a step backwards. However, you could at least map that switch to rotation lock. I personally leave my iPhone on silent always, and with Apple Watch it's redundant to hear both. I would prefer the option to map the iPhone ringer switch, to more than rotation and mute. Like how you can map the action button on Ultra, imagine opening the camera and snapping a photo, starting a voice memo recording, using the flashlight from your ringer switch, etc. It's a pipedream admittedly, like changing the stupid lockscreen toggles.

Same. Always off. Love the mapping idea for the switch. Maybe Siri commands will be better to help with these things?

Whoopie FFing Do! Yay! I NOW have a reason to upgrade. /s

Yeah, it’s not a reason for me to upgrade. Removal of physical buttons actually hurts since I’m resistant to change (as most people are), but I can see some benefits to it. However, a nice titanium color would get me to ‘upgrade’ if it had a fast 3nm chip, hopefully with a snappy Apple modem.

 

[klasma]

Good point. At least now that would only happen if you grabbed it hard on the buttons.

It happens quite easily when you use the volume button to take photos. For some people, half of their photo stream is accidental screenshots.

 

[tomtad]

Can someone explain how I will push these through my trouser pocket, or with gloves?

 

[dampfnudel]

Case makers will have to make cut-outs which might undermine the value of the case when it comes to protecting the phone. Most cases now completely cover the sides of the phone to provide impact protection/transmission and in some cases water protection. Also like some people have stated here, no more gloves when trying to raise/lower the volume. Maybe for most people that’s a minor one, but some people definitely won’t like it. It could also signal a port-less future which may come sooner than we think and that could irritate even more people.

 

[TechNutt]

While using AirPods, I routinely adjust the volume by pressing the phone buttons through my pants fabric while the phone is in my pocket. It's already difficult since the power button on one side has nearly the same profile as the two volume buttons on the other side, making it hard to tell which side of the phone I'm pushing. I could use Siri to adjust the volume in this situation, but yuck. My experience with Siri typically involves repeating myself two or three times with increasingly exaggerated diction, then giving up and taking my phone out to do what I need directly.

This! Frequently there are times I want to adjust volume without taking out my phone, especially while wearing a hooded sweatshirt like in our current chilly weathers. I might need to rethink upgrades now because I’m surely not using Siri for those minuscule tasks.

And another thing, I do a lot of screenshots so removal of volume buttons will make those functions much more difficult and therefore frustrating.

I greatly prefer to keep these physical buttons intact now that I think about it.

 

[dampfnudel]

Can someone explain how I will push these through my trouser pocket, or with gloves?

I guess Apple expects you to “adapt” somehow.

 

[pesc]

On an AW Ultra? Would solid state buttons work under water when using the Ultra as a dive computer?

 

[_Spinn_]

None of these rumors specify if they’re also planning on removing the vibrate/ring switch like they did on the iPad.

That would be a mistake. It’s nice to be able to silence the phone without looking at the screen.

As far as the power and volume buttons, I could care less so long as it feels the same and doesn’t use more battery life.

Yeah I really don’t want them to touch the ring switch.

I wonder what case manufacturers are going to do with the solid state buttons? Leave cutouts? 🙁

 

[kingtj1971]

One wonders if this will be like when Apple changed to the haptic Home button with the iPhone 7.

I seem to remember lots of people saying it was crazy, but then haptic feedback was actually really good to the point where it's hard to tell the difference.

No denying they did a great job simulating the physical "Home" button. But I don't think that justifies trying to get rid of the remaining physical buttons.

For one thing, you hold down a combination of them to force a hard reset if the phone crashes/freezes up. If they move them to simulated buttons, a crash will likely prevent them from responding -- making them useless for a forced restart!

 

[PeteBurgh]

what's the point tho ? more waterproof ?

I honestly don’t know. Perhaps it’s water proofing, perhaps something else. It‘s hard to imagine it would be either cheaper/simpler manufacture or take up less space, but what do I know.

No denying they did a great job simulating the physical "Home" button. But I don't think that justifies trying to get rid of the remaining physical buttons.

For one thing, you hold down a combination of them to force a hard reset if the phone crashes/freezes up. If they move them to simulated buttons, a crash will likely prevent them from responding -- making them useless for a forced restart!

Perhaps. It’s hard to imagine that Apple hasn’t thought of the forced reset scenario and come up with a solution though.

useless feature change simply for marketing spin

For better or for worse, I doubt this has been done as a feature to market. Moving vs haptic buttons is the sort of minutiae we obsess about on this forum, but I don’t think Apple will be putting it on Times Square billboards.

 

[vikingjunior]

This is about as dumb as Dynamic island. Those foldable phones are looking better and better.

 

[Wags]

Apple knows better than us. What we need and when we need it.

 

[Rocko99991]

How would the button sense it's been pushed? Will it work well with thick gloves on?

I see no need for this except improving waterproofing. How many people wear out these buttons?

 

[SpotOnT]

One wonders if this will be like when Apple changed to the haptic Home button with the iPhone 7.

I seem to remember lots of people saying it was crazy, but then haptic feedback was actually really good to the point where it's hard to tell the difference.

The haptic doesn’t work when you have cold hands or are wearing gloves.

The non-haptic button of the 6s was always much more reliable for me under a larger variety of conditions.