Without commenting on the sanity of the design in the first place, I don't think the buttons would've been buttons, rather than just a sensor stuck in there with adhesive or protrusions with capacitive sensing underneath. (We know how fond Apple is of adhesive.) That would be the whole point of the taptic engines—the buttons don't actually move.
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Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Models Will No Longer Feature Solid-State Buttons
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I feel like Apple should go back to naming new generations 13-13S 14-14S etc. differences in design are so small now that it raises the question is a new model needed every year?
Exactly.
Capacitive buttons as a replacement for primary function buttons on a phone have ALWAYS failed:
HTC's S640/S620 came close and worked yet over the initial year had functional issues. Any boot sequence in Windows PocketPC smartphone edition for that device was moved to the keyboard.
BlackBerry's Passport : the primary keyboard buttons' functions stayed INTACT and worked as tactile buttons, the only function for capacitive touch was for pseudo app/text cursor movement or for single/triple/multiple character/word deletion. Both worked in harmony and always worked.
I've always felt this was far too ambitious and quick for Apple to do. This will take at least a full 2yrs to get it right. Volume and sleep/wake/power buttons go ahead, but the MUTE/Sound switch should remain as primary. period.
We've seen far too many very effective features of smartphones going away - many very efficient beyond current standards:
LED notifications:
BlackBerry was famous for this and via 3rd party app a user would/could customize.
Sony's Xperia is THE only phone on the market that still has this! Right now it's STILL more efficient than a 1hz OLED always on display function. 1 RGB/etc LED to let you know an SMS/VIP set SMS arrived, an Email, a missed call (add rapid intervals for how many calls: 1, 3 , or more - mods of course). Unlock the phone to see specifics in Notifications.
Mute/Un-mute switch .. Apple and OnePlus I believe are the only 2 remaining that have this.
Dedicated Camera / Video button: again ONLY Sony has this and from a Lock Screen and especially from a screen that is locked and OFF STILL the fastest. Soon will be gone. Short press = camera. Long/Deep press Video.
huh ... I'm beginning to really sound old now and I'm not yet 50!
Nope.
Just call the iPhone + yr released. leave it at that:
iPhone 2023
iPhone SE 2023
iPhone Max 2023
iPhone mini 2023 (dreaming on a wing and a prayer, believe it or not it's just meeeeeee)
(kudos for anyone that gets that). Very simple
So it’s just gonna be another iPhone 13 SS with a new color option? Sorry Apple, but so far I have seen nothing that would get me to upgrade from my 12 PM on a 1,5k Euro price tag (which only speaks for that device!). Maybe 2024 will be the year
I hope they still change the mute switch to a customisable button.
So we now have to go back to pushing traditional buttons like animals!
Here I was looking forward to accidentally having my phone on mute via sophisticated solid state technology, not just regular buttons.
Here I was looking forward to accidentally having my phone on mute via sophisticated solid state technology, not just regular buttons.
There is zero chance they are tinkering with the design of the iPhone 15 this close to it being launched. They are already working on the iPhone 16. Production of the 15 is surely already under way.
Not sure why you would think this, in the last few years the new SoC would enter mass production in May-June and the new phone itself in July-August.
You think a major design change of the phone is happening this close to production? The entire inside of the phone would have to be changed due to the haptics being removed. I call BS on either the report from Kuo or Apple was never introducing those solid state buttons in the first place.
i'd settle for the buttons just being capacitive. I'd love to be able to swipe up and down on the power button to summon notification/control centre from anywhere. Would work better than reaching to the top of the screen. I use back tap and reachability for these purposes, but they can be inconsistent.
There is literally no way the design wasn’t finalized months ago. This reminds me of the last minute Series 7 switch that ended up being everybody misunderstanding Apple Watch Ultra rumors.
My thoughts exactly. Seems way too late for a change like this to be made.
You had written “production is surely already under way”. Now it’s become “this close to production”. I just corrected your assumptions on the production timeline, based on the last few years.
What do I think?
I think production stages exist for a reason.
January-February: NPI (new product introduction) pilot production run
March-June: EVT-DVT-PVT verification stages
July: trial production
August: mass production
If everything was set in stone from the NPI stage, why even have stages at all?
I also think a behemoth of a company like Apple has backup plans in active development at all times for its life-or-death main behemoth of a product. Even a backup iPhone with a different internal layout.
seems like apple just can't get anything right at the moment, from buzzy screens to rushed ar! Time for a shake up at apple HQ... Doesn't sound like this years phone would be worth upgrading for!