by iPhone 15 rumors continue to pour in fast, and some of them are proving very divisive. Apple only released the iPhone 14 in September, so we expect it’ll be another 9 months before we have concrete details on its follow-up, but fans already have lists of expected features.
One of the widespread rumors is that the iPhone 15 will introduce haptic buttons. That means instead of real buttons, it would have haptic touch sensors that emulate the feel of using real physical buttons by responding to touches through vibration or other methods. But we’re really not sure we can make the point (see our Apple Black Friday roundup if you’re looking for late deals on current Apple gear).
The idea that the iPhone 15 (opens in new tab) will get solid-state haptics for its power and volume buttons was raised by well-known Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo back in October. The claim now has some more supporting evidence, as reported by MacRumors (opens in new tab)Apple supplier Cirrus Logic announced to its shareholders (opens in new tab) it is in talks with a “strategic customer” about “launching a new HPMS component in smartphones next year.”
MacRumors detects this on a win call (opens in new tab), Cirrus Logic CEO John Forsyth mentioned a timeframe of the “back half of next year” that would coincide with the iPhone’s usual September launch date. Cirrus Logic’s high-performance mixed-signal chips (HPMS) include haptic drivers for the iPhone Taptic Engine, which we’ve already seen in the iPhone 7, 8, and SE2’s home button design, to add vibration to the feel of a button press generate feedback.
It all seems to indicate that this could be a real plan. But while haptics (or taptics in Apple parlance) all sound very futuristic, the keys get the job done perfectly. Some fans have welcomed the rumor, others aren’t convinced it makes sense, and we can see why. Tech enthusiasts took a poll on Twitter and 62 percent thought the move was a good idea, but many people expressed doubts.
“Buttons should only remain buttons. There is no benefit in making them virtual,” one person continued Twitter (opens in new tab). “So they’re getting rid of the buttons and putting in something that feels like buttons…why?!” wrote another. “Useless. Another thing that could possibly break. And what if you wear gloves? I think clickable buttons are much better,” was another opinion.
Do you like the idea of iPhone 15 Pros getting haptic feedback buttons?November 28, 2022
One purported benefit of haptics is that they prevent physical button wear, but we’ve really never heard anyone complain about the power button or volume buttons wearing out on their iPhone. Others have concerns about how they might restart the phone if the software freezes, and also how haptic buttons would work with cases.
This rumor stems from suggestions that the iPhone 15 will have a slightly rounded back. Putting these two changes together, we have the most radical design departure in a long time.
Of course, it’s still too early to know if Apple will really roll these changes out to the iPhone 15 — or which model. After all, there are rumors that there will be an iPhone 15 Ultra made of titanium. In the meantime, find the best prices on Apple’s latest range below – and check out our picks of the best iPhone 14 cases if you want to use a case on your iPhone while you still can!
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