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Is this about making the device watertight or something?
for sure, less mechanical elements...more rock solid device
I have the eqs for 13 months now...and i hated all the touch input buttons on the door panels for AC controls i have it always on the display and so on..people who says that for AC prefer actual buttons are lying to themselves because once you have automatic climate, you probably have to change something to the AC 2-3 times per year....and thats it that how forward tech is now...always on 22C or 24C for me personally. Here after 1-2 years from the 15 models...people will get used to with an mute button...you just hard press it and thats all, today mute switch can be trigger in the jackets or pants easily by mistake ...now i hope Apple let us to trigger the silent mode by pressing twice on that button to avoid unintentionally mode swap
 
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Is this about making the device watertight or something?
Doubt it. Regardless if the ingress protection, Apple warranty still doesn't cover the slightest water damage. It is simply over engineering just because. More moving parts, less reliability, faster upgrade turn around. I'm guessing this is Apple's solution for people who are keeping their old iPhones longer.
 
To me the most important thing is that the phone can’t unmute itself accidentally in my pocket. I work in situations where I need to be quiet. If I my phone goes off, I lose my job.
 
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To me the most important thing is that the phone can’t unmute itself accidentally in my pocket. I work in situations where I need to be quiet. If I my phone goes off, I lose my job.
What job do you have that’s that strict?

Capacitive buttons generally don’t work with fabric such as clothing between the button and you.
 
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one where the volume goes up/down faster depending on the amount of force used when pressed, and another where the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down on the button with a finger.
I strongly dislike these kinds of “analog” touch controls where you never know where exactly you’ll end up. While the current volume buttons aren’t granular enough for my taste (they go in 6% steps), at least you know exactly what one button press will do.
 
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My phone is always on silent, so I've never had a use for the mute switch, and I hate that it's a moving part, it feels fragile. So this is a much welcome change. On top of that, it sounds like there will be more customization for these buttons and likely new gestures available, so this is overall a quantifiable upgrade for me.
 
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Doubt it. Regardless if the ingress protection, Apple warranty still doesn't cover the slightest water damage. It is simply over engineering just because. More moving parts, less reliability, faster upgrade turn around. I'm guessing this is Apple's solution for people who are keeping their old iPhones longer.
Sorry, but if you really think that Apple purposefully makes worse iPhones to sell more of them, you should wake up to reality.

The reality that people with a bad iPhone experience can actually *switch* to a different brand (particularly outside of the US, where iMessage doesn't dominate). And perhaps moreover, the reality that the damage to Apple's brand is way, way more important than any extra iPhones they might sell.
 
Honestly buttons on iPhones can feel cheap, especially on a $1000+ device. It sucks when they rattle, get a bit stuck from grime or the silent switch not having that satisfying click like on day 1.
Yeah, but IMO solid-state buttons feel even cheaper, like an iPhone dummy.
 
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I hear what you are saying, But does there have to be a problem too before something is changed? I get the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" ethos, but then they get accused of not innovating. Why not make things that are perfectly good even better??
People disagree that it’s better.
 
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So they need to add an extra CPU to handle the solid state buttons that won't work with gloves and generally when it's cold. Smaaaart move Apple.

Can you please get out of your climate controlled Californian offices and use your prototypes somewhere with weather first?
 
I was never before a fan of solid state buttons due to their slightly sluggish way of adjusting a setting in plenty other devices and I hope these will feel nicer.
I also never had a button on my iPhone stop working and am not sure how often that happens to others.
 
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My phone is literally on mute 24/7. I don't even know what my ringtone sounds like. So a multifunction button instead of the mute switch is a pretty welcoming change for me.
Same here since years ago, and now even more as I got a basic smartwatch just to “feel” the calls. No annoying rings anymore
 
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The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.

iPhone-15-Pro-Buttons-CAD-Leak.jpg

CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models

The source of this rumor is the same forum member that shared accurate details about the Dynamic Island last year before the iPhone 14 Pro was officially launched, so there is good reason to believe that the following information is reliable.

According to the anonymous source, the new microprocessor will replace Apple's current super-low energy mode that allows an iPhone to be located via Find My after it has been powered off or for up to 24 hours if its battery has been depleted, and enables Apple Pay Express Mode to be used for up to five hours after the battery has run out.

The new chip will allegedly take over these existing Bluetooth LE/Ultra Wideband functions in addition to powering the solid-state buttons – including an "action" button that replaces the mute switch – when the phone is on, off, or the battery is depleted. The microprocessor will "immediately sense capacitive button presses, holds, and even detect their own version of 3D Touch with the new volume up/down button, action button, and power button, while the phone is dead or powered down," says the tipster.

The source also claims that the new low-energy capacitive features are currently being tested with and without Taptic Engine feedback while powered off, but not while the battery is dead, however "whether this tidbit makes it to production or not is highly uncertain but IS being tested," they added.

The source claims that their "man inside" Apple has seen two functional versions of the rumored new unified volume button in testing, including one where the volume goes up/down faster depending on the amount of force used when pressed, and another where the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down on the button with a finger. They do not know which method will be adopted for the final release, but these features are enabled by software, so this functionality may well be user-customizable.

The anonymous tipster claims that their inside source is on the Apple development team, so they do not have additional information about the design of the new models unless the physical features require software development to complement them.

As per previous rumors, solid-state capacitive buttons are expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, with the standard iPhone 15 models retaining the same traditional button mechanism as on the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 15 Pro is also rumored to be gaining a software-customizable button in lieu of the mute switch, with a unified volume button or "rocker" replacing the separate up/down volume buttons. For everything else we know about the new iPhone 15 series, check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.

Article Link: iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip Powers Solid-State Buttons and Other Functions When Device Is Turned Off or Battery Is

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/29/iphone-15-pro-low-energy-microprocessor/
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.

iPhone-15-Pro-Buttons-CAD-Leak.jpg

CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models

The source of this rumor is the same forum member that shared accurate details about the Dynamic Island last year before the iPhone 14 Pro was officially launched, so there is good reason to believe that the following information is reliable.

According to the anonymous source, the new microprocessor will replace Apple's current super-low energy mode that allows an iPhone to be located via Find My after it has been powered off or for up to 24 hours if its battery has been depleted, and enables Apple Pay Express Mode to be used for up to five hours after the battery has run out.

The new chip will allegedly take over these existing Bluetooth LE/Ultra Wideband functions in addition to powering the solid-state buttons – including an "action" button that replaces the mute switch – when the phone is on, off, or the battery is depleted. The microprocessor will "immediately sense capacitive button presses, holds, and even detect their own version of 3D Touch with the new volume up/down button, action button, and power button, while the phone is dead or powered down," says the tipster.

The source also claims that the new low-energy capacitive features are currently being tested with and without Taptic Engine feedback while powered off, but not while the battery is dead, however "whether this tidbit makes it to production or not is highly uncertain but IS being tested," they added.

The source claims that their "man inside" Apple has seen two functional versions of the rumored new unified volume button in testing, including one where the volume goes up/down faster depending on the amount of force used when pressed, and another where the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down on the button with a finger. They do not know which method will be adopted for the final release, but these features are enabled by software, so this functionality may well be user-customizable.

The anonymous tipster claims that their inside source is on the Apple development team, so they do not have additional information about the design of the new models unless the physical features require software development to complement them.

As per previous rumors, solid-state capacitive buttons are expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, with the standard iPhone 15 models retaining the same traditional button mechanism as on the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 15 Pro is also rumored to be gaining a software-customizable button in lieu of the mute switch, with a unified volume button or "rocker" replacing the separate up/down volume buttons. For everything else we know about the new iPhone 15 series, check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.

Article Link: iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip Powers Solid-State Buttons and Other Functions When Device Is Turned Off or Battery Is Depleted
Sounds like a potential disaster…..
 
Using a physical button requires less power than a virtual button.

You'd think with all the ambient energy surrounding us that they could capture some of the energy from the various radio waves and kinetic energy to keep the chip powered 24/7:rolleyes:
 
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