Apple has been considering ditching the iPhone’s physically movable buttons for a while since last year in favor of stationary buttons with capacitive touch sensors. This rumor was last circulating about a year ago, when it was thought that the iPhone 15 Pro models would feature these “solid-state” buttons.
Of course, that never happened, and we haven’t heard anything so far about the possibility of Apple making this change on any iPhone 16 model.
Now, a report from China’s state-owned Economic Daily claims that ASE Investment Holdings has secured a very large order from Apple for components needed to replace the volume and power buttons on iPhone 16 models with buttons semiconductor capacitors. Apple also reportedly included two additional Taptic motors, one on each side, to provide a false “click” sensation and other tactile feedback.
Order details are not provided, so this may be a case of translation or misreporting: Apple has long expected to add a new capacitive “Capture” button to the iPhone 16 lineup, the same side than the power button but lower. . This report on parts orders could be related to this, although the newspaper mentions previous expectations for replacement of the power and volume buttons.
Solid-state capacitive buttons could have several advantages over physical buttons. Sustainability is one; The thinnest, easiest-to-bend parts of the iPhone frame are the narrowest areas where holes are cut out for buttons. Capacitive buttons would also be able to determine how hard you press them, or could even provide functionality that lets you slide along the button, depending on how the sensors are integrated.
Using Taptic engines to provide feedback would allow Apple to give different physical feedback for different things: you could “half-press” a button and get a subtle click, then press it all the way with a louder click. Long-press actions can also get unique feedback, like little “ticks” counting down a timer when resetting your iPhone.
For more on all the rumors and reports about what we can expect in this year’s new iPhones, check out the iPhone 16 FAQ.
