Kuo Says iPhone 15 Buttons Will Have Haptic Feedback

Just a month after the iPhone 14 launch, the rumour mill is churning out Apple iPhone 15 leaks. Fresh leaks from Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the iPhone 15 volume and power buttons will be solid-state buttons. This is called haptic feedback, and Apple has been using it in the home button on some iPhone models. The iPhone SE3 has a solid-state home button. It doesn’t physically press inwards, but when a user presses it, the vibration motor gives feedback of a button press.

Ming-Chi Kuo is a credible Apple analyst who has given many accurate leaks in the past, including the recent dynamic island on the iPhone 14 Pro models. Kuo has deep sources in the Apple supply chain, putting him in a favorable position to see the next-gen iPhone being put together.

Kuo tweets that “the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design”. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the high-end iPhones that Kuo is talking about. He further mentions that the phones will have haptic engines on the left and right sides to give force-touch feedback. According to Kuo, this change will increase the number of vibration motors in the iPhone from one to three.

Android will follow iPhone 15 haptic feedback buttons

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My latest survey indicates that the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 & 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 28, 2022

There are several benefits to solid-state buttons replacing actual buttons. The current physical buttons tend to wear out over time. Users may notice a button becoming loose, unresponsive, or even breaking apart in case the phone falls. Solid-state buttons have no moving parts outside the phone, which means the button’s feel and feedback remain good as new over a longer period.

Apple has been using the solid-state home button with haptic motors since the iPhone 7 and still uses it in the iPhone SE. However, Kuo says that Android phone makers are likely to follow Apple in implementing solid-state buttons. According to Kuo, Android phone makers will do so to create new selling points.

He concludes his analysis by saying that the iPhone 15 buttons will rope in more vibration motor orders from suppliers Luxshare and AAC Technologies. It’ll be good news for the mobile phone vibrator industry if Android phone makers also follow the trend. However, the iPhone 15 is still one full year away, and we’re expecting much to change by the time we near its launch.