iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

[jarman92]

Until you put a case on it and that switch becomes so recessed that you have to use your fingernail.
Or you get one of those cases that has a flap covering the mute switch, those are annoying.

I don't use a case. But regardless, Apple should never design the iPhone around cases.

 

[jarman92]

People love a hardware control with no software analog? False.

If you're being serious this is incredibly myopic. The overwhelming majority of iPhone users don't know how to use automation or Focus modes, but they have certainly learned how to make sure their phone is on silent by feeling for the mute switch. Take a look at dozens of comments supporting the physical switch in just this thread. Just because you personally want a "software analog" doesn't mean it's the best option.

 

[rjjacobson]

Until you put a case on it and that switch becomes so recessed that you have to use your fingernail.
Or you get one of those cases that has a flap covering the mute switch, those are annoying.

All my iphones have a case to keep the glass screen edge recessed so as in rare drop face down (and there are hopefully no rocks pointing up ;-) that it hits the case edge not screen. I agree already use fingernail to reach the mute switch gonna make it hard to get to the mute button hope they are not ignoring how this works (if this rumor is even true) with those of us who prefer cases to protect our investment. Given I am on IUP program I want a good not cracked phone to return when I upgrade or even if I do not they are major investment.

 

[rjjacobson]

I don't use a case. But regardless, Apple should never design the iPhone around cases.

All my iphones have a case to keep the glass screen edge recessed so as in rare drop face down (and there are hopefully no rocks pointing up ;-) that it hits the case edge not screen. I agree already use fingernail to reach the mute switch gonna make it hard to get to the mute button hope they are not ignoring how this works (if this rumor is even true) with those of us who prefer cases to protect our investment. Given I am on IUP program I want a good not cracked phone to return when I upgrade or even if I do not they are major investment.

If they do design this for ceaseless use then I will have to consider if I upgrade or just pause for this next round.

 

[bmot]

You will still be able to feel the button. It will vibrate differently for mute and unmute.
And I’m sure that will also be the case for the volume button. The haptic feedback will tell you the current volume.

 

[SW3029]

No one in the world fears change more than MacRumors readers.

 

[DJ démasqué]

The Mute button is not unified, the title should have been:

iPhone 15 Pro leak reveals Mute button and Unified Volume button

Beside not being Unified, this new Mute button is a very bad idea, the current one is the only safe way to not activate mute acccidently, imho.

 

[MacFin]

This has nothing to do with haptics. Instead of being physical buttons, the buttons will reportedly be capacitive surfaces, which do not necessarily require skin to touch the surface to register a touch. Most modern touchscreens work this way, and accordingly many gloves now include conductive material at the fingertips to allow the use of touchscreen devices while wearing them. That is, electric current is able to pass through the surface of the glove much like your bare finger, since that's all that capacitive touch cares about.

My main concern with this is that it still requires special clothing to make the buttons respond to touch. Currently, if you have your iPhone in your jeans pocket, you can easily feel the physical volume buttons and adjust the volume without taking the iPhone out. However, with the capacitive surface button technology, you would need clothing made of materials that allow an electric current to pass through, which is not common in most clothing. As such, the usability of these buttons could be limited in many instances compared to what we have now. Therefore, unless this technology can be improved to work without the need for specialized clothing, I'm quite certain it will going to frustrate many users who consider it a setback.

 

[M33-1]

Not liking the new mute button. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

 

[howywood]

Mute button is not something I’ll ever see as an advantage over the switch, which quickly tells me if the phone is muted or not upon touching it or looking at it. Change for the sake of change.

What's the difference between looking to see if the switch is orange or silver versus quickly pressing the mute button and remembering what you set it to? It doesn't seem difficult or more disadvantageous.

 

[SAIRUS]

How awesome would it be if the volume panel also has Touch ID built in?

 

[jonblatho]

My main concern with this is that it still requires special clothing to make the buttons respond to touch. Currently, if you have your iPhone in your jeans pocket, you can easily feel the physical volume buttons and adjust the volume without taking the iPhone out. However, with the capacitive surface button technology, you would need clothing made of materials that allow an electric current to pass through, which is not common in most clothing. As such, the usability of these buttons could be limited in many instances compared to what we have now. Therefore, unless this technology can be improved to work without the need for specialized clothing, I'm quite certain it will going to frustrate many users who consider it a setback.

Not necessarily. I'm currently wearing jeans — obviously not specially made for touchscreen use — and the display appears to register touches through my pocket just fine. While the fabric's obviously too thick to actually see the display on my iPhone 14 Pro Max, by slipping it a bit out of my pocket with the display facing outward, I'm able to see that it registers touches (scrolling on the lock screen) with reasonable accuracy through both the pocket lining and the denim.

That's no guarantee that it'll be possible to control the volume buttons through a pocket until the thing actually ships and people try it, of course, but I'd take that as an encouraging sign.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Looking more and more like the 13 was the last good one. SIM slot, mute switch. Things I never thought I’d have to say I miss.

 

[lindros2]

Instead of the mute switch, it will now be referred to as the "woke" button.

 

[eifelbube]

I do prefer the classic iPhone 4 button design but I think it might be time for a change. A good change! It does remind me of Macbook Pro Touch Bar.

I also have a feeling we will be able to do more with the unified pill shape button then just changing the volume.

Judging by the reaction score at a total of 267 comments, it appears the majority would prefer to keep a button that visually indicates the mute state …

 

[eifelbube]

Probably for waterproofing. So not for nothing. Doesn't mean it is an important feature for everyone, but it isn't an example of 'change for changes sake' I don't think, since there IS a likely reason.

I do like that MUTE could become just another setting I can adjust like VOLUME now. Or even with Siri. (Probably.)

„Hey Siri, mute phone!“ -
„Working on it … „

 

[ian87w]

I doubt these are changes just for the "sake of change" When you have a mature product you can finally start paying attention to small details and refining them to make the overall product better. The more "solid state" the iPhone becomes the fewer places for mechanical failure and water ingress it has.

Not when it’s from over function.
There are interfaces where buttons simply is the ideal interface.

 

[corinthos]

Only Apple would have the courage to unify the volume buttons! iPhone 15 will be a must-have! Just like Temptation Island was a must-have on the 14.

 

[ThailandToo]

Apple usually knows what it's doing, but this has the potential to be an enormous mistake. People love the mute switch.

It’s a huge advantage over any Android phone. One of the two biggest advantages in my opinion. I really wish they didn’t remove the mute button from iPads also. I hate when a FaceTime call comes in on the iPad and it just ***** rings. There’s no simple way to change the audible incoming for calls and etc. Apple ruined that on iPads now it’s fixing to do the same thing to its iPhone lineup. Way more important on the iPhone. And now there will be no way to ensure it’s on mute without pulling it out of pocket and checking. I keep my iPhone in my pocket oriented the same way all the time. I can easily ensure it’s on mute while in my pocket as I enter a meeting.

Bad Apple! I really dislike Tim Cook’s Apple as a user. As an investor, it’s great for now. But what will the future look like with all their focus on small increments of change. And change for the sake of change like the iPhone mute switch f-up.

 

[abhibeckert]

Mute button is not something I’ll ever see as an advantage over the switch, which quickly tells me if the phone is muted or not upon touching it or looking at it. Change for the sake of change.

The mute button on my oldest phone doesn't work anymore... which definitely isn't worth spending hundreds of dollars to repair since I can still mute the phone via several taps on the touch screen.

Also, on my new phone, where the switch works perfectly, it's often bumped into the wrong position. I expect that wouldn't happen with a capacitive button - those will only trigger if pressed firmly with a finger.

I'm all for this change.

 

[theOmega]

I love the mute switch, it’s so distinctive, specially when iPhone first come out it was so simple compared with the complicated proflies or whatever they were called on Nokia phones, although we have focus now but anyway, but it stopped working properly for me before and I know a few people that had the same issue, so I’m happy with the haptic button which I also love and haven’t had one for a while.

 

[ian87w]

I really like having a color coded mute SWITCH over a button. I can easily look at the phone w/o having to look at the screen to verify that I won't have a disturbance.

The physical mute switch is one of the ingenious design of the iPhone. It’s almost perfect in terms of usability and function.

Changing this reminds me of Tesla changing the wheel of their cars into a yoke.

 

[ian87w]

The mute button on my oldest phone doesn't work anymore... which definitely isn't worth spending hundreds of dollars to repair since I can still mute the phone via several taps on the touch screen.

Also, on my new phone, where the switch works perfectly, it's often bumped into the wrong position. I expect that wouldn't happen with a capacitive button - those will only trigger if pressed firmly with a finger.

I'm all for this change.

Do even you still use your oldest phone?

 

[jon3543]

Sounds like Apple is ready to serve up another generous helping of Courage™ this autumn.

Can't innovate anymore my ass!

 

[lcs101]

It’s a huge advantage over any Android phone. One of the two biggest advantages in my opinion. I really wish they didn’t remove the mute button from iPads also. I hate when a FaceTime call comes in on the iPad and it just ***** rings. There’s no simple way to change the audible incoming for calls and etc. Apple ruined that on iPads now it’s fixing to do the same thing to its iPhone lineup. Way more important on the iPhone. And now there will be no way to ensure it’s on mute without pulling it out of pocket and checking. I keep my iPhone in my pocket oriented the same way all the time. I can easily ensure it’s on mute while in my pocket as I enter a meeting.

Bad Apple! I really dislike Tim Cook’s Apple as a user. As an investor, it’s great for now. But what will the future look like with all their focus on small increments of change. And change for the sake of change like the iPhone mute switch f-up.

The mute switch was definitely one of the things I missed the most when I was on Android for a number of years. I'll reserve judgment about the change until I know more about how it will operate, but as others have mentioned, I love to simply put my hand in my pocket and easily confirm that my phone is muted.