HIGHLIGHTS

* Apple is reportedly planning to change the button design on the iPhone 15 series.
* The high-end iPhone 15 Pro could feature a redesigned mute button.
* Rumours also suggested a single-button design but it has been reportedly scrapped.

Apple will be launching a new iPhone series in the fall and the rumour mill is already busy with every little detail on the devices. The current buzz is on the iPhone 15’s button design which is expected to go through some changes.

Earlier rumours suggested a single volume button design for the iPhone 15 but a new report says Apple might stick with the old design. Apple is also expected to redesign the mute button on the iPhone 15.

Apple was reportedly planning to use solid-state buttons for the iPhone 15 series which meant a single button design for the volume controls.

The solid-state button was reportedly planned for the high-end iPhone 15 Pro models, and it would feature the Taptic Engine for a physical click feedback. The solid-state button design would still have the separator but it won’t be as distinctive as the current design. The decision to revert to the older design is due to the solid-state buttons getting delayed, according to a report by MacRumors.

iPhone 15 mute Button Redesign

Another change that Apple is planning to make is the mute button on the iPhone 15. The current models use a slider design that basically puts the phone on silent mode. On the iPhone 15 series we could see a new design and functionality for the mute button.

It could be similar to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra, the report added. The Action button sits on the left side of the Apple Watch Ultra and it can be customised to do different tasks.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 Pro is still in the Engineer Validation Test (EVT) stage so the final design isn’t confirmed and could change too. Apple isn’t ditching the solid-state concept altogether and is instead expected to use it on the iPhone 16 series. However, it’s still too early to say what we’ll eventually see on the iPhones and there could be more changes in the coming months.

Since there’s still months to go for the iPhone 15 series launch we should be getting more clarity on how the new iPhones will be different this year.

Earlier, some new renders emerged that gave us a better idea of how redesigned volume and mute buttons might look on Apple’s upcoming Pro models. However, a subsequent update to the original report now claims that Apple is backing away from switching to a lone volume button. Instead, the iPhone 15 will reportedly feature two volume buttons just like the iPhone 14 Pro.

The original renders published by MacRumors were based on information provided by a leaker posting under the name Unknownz21 at Twitter. They show off an iPhone 15 Pro design with a single volume button stretching down the left side of the phone. Just above that volume control is another button that would silence your phone.

A glance at the current iPhone design reveals what a departure that would have been.
Current models use separate buttons to raise and lower the volume instead of a single elongated control. And iPhones currently use a switch, not a button to mute the phone.

Interestingly, the MacRumors renders of the iPhone 15 Pro depicted a thin line halfway down the volume button. Presumably, that’s there to give users both a visual and physical cue as to which side of the volume rocker will raise or lower audio.

Unfortunately, it seems like the above render will be the only place we seen an iPhone 15 Pro with a unified volume button. The original MacRumors report now says that Apple is sticking with the current volume button design, though it is planning on switching to a button for muting the phone.

It’s a time of upheaval for rumors about iPhone 15 Pro buttons, as some analysts have cast doubt on whether the new phone will feature solid-state buttons, as had been rumored.

A report from the usually reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says it’s not going to happen for the iPhone 15 Pro, and another analyst, Jeff Pu, echoes those claims. The suggestion is that the new design is too complex and requires more haptic engines, which means Apple might not be ready to include it on an iPhone until 2024.

Another leaker doesn’t buy that. As spotted by WccfTech, a tweet from someone calling themselves analyst941 insists we’re getting solid-state buttons this year. “The iPhone 15 Pro’s [sic] will still have capacitive touch buttons, contrary to rumors, the development team is working too closely with new hardware to turn back now, ” the leaker tweeted. “The components are ready and it’s too late for that nonsense.”

Another part of the MacRumors report which contends the sides of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max as well as those buttons will be made from titanium. That’s the same material Apple uses on the Apple Watch Ultra and it should be more durable than the stainless steel that’s included in Apple’s current Pro phones.

All of this sounds like it’s part of Apple’s effort to make the iPhone 15 Pro models stand out from the rest of the iPhone 15 lineup. We’re already expecting those phones to get a more powerful A17 Bionic chipset while the iPhone 15 Pro Max may feature a periscope-style telephoto lens for improved zoom capabilities.

APPLE IPHONE 15 KEY SPECIFICATIONS

Performance

Faqs on IPhone 15 Pro

1) iPhone 15 Pro: here’s what’s expected?

Ans) According to a recent report , IPhone 15 pro appears to feature a redesigned titanium clamshell body, with smoother edges at the corners and towards the display.

The smartphone body has a smoother integration with the display, with the glass featuring a slight curvature that merges into the titanium shell.

This gives the iPhone 15 Pro super slim bezels that are 1.55mm all around, while the device retains the same pill-shaped Dynamic Island notch that was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max lineups.

The redesigning of the titanium body of the iPhone 15 Pro gives the device total width of 70.46mm — down from 71.45mm on the predecessor.

While this makes it slimmer by about a millimeter, the same will likely not reflect in the in-hand feel.

What could, however, are the smoother edges on the phone. Apart from this, the iPhone 15 Pro is tipped to feature even larger rear cameras, which will feature new sensors that can “capture more light and reduce over and underexposure” — as per the leaked post. This appears to be different from the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which will seemingly feature a periscope lens for telephoto optical zoom.

Other key new features include haptic volume buttons and the mute slider to the left, and finally, the switch to a USB Type-C charging port instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port.

The leaked post claims that Apple will allow fast charging only through select, certified USB-C cables, all of which remains to be seen.

Finally, the iPhone 15 Pro is tipped to get a Deep Red colour variant, which has been expected for a while now.

2) Where are the bezels?

Ans) Bezels will be shrunk this year again, with tighter borders all around the screen. They’ll measure at a mere 1.55mm, which could be among the thinnest in the industry. Android Phones have lately been winning at the bezels game but Apple is seemingly poised to reclaim its champion status.

If bezels are shrunk even as the screen size is retained, by physics the phone should grow marginally smaller.

The iPhone 15 Pro is indeed an itsy-bitsy more portable than the iPhone 14 Pro, with the former’s dimensions standing at 70.46 x 146.47 x 8.24mm versus the latter’s 71.45 x 147.46mm x 7.84mm.

3) Does the iPhone 15 pro say Goodbye to buttons ?

Ans) The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max may be completely button-less if rumours are to be believed.

Users will instead perform the associated actions using solid-state haptic buttons. The clicky feel will be emulated with two dedicated haptic engines that will probably be situated under the buttons.

4) Does the iPhone 15 pro design say Goodbye to Lightning ports?

Ans) Apple is also very much expected to finally ditch the Lightning port in favour of the glorious (and more universal) USB-C port with the iPhone 15 series.
We hope that this will translate to faster charging speeds.

5) Does Titanium frame = lighter build in the upcoming iPhone 15 pro ?

Ans) Probably the biggest upgrade in terms of design – and thus also the most noticeable – will be the new titanium frame. The frame is apparently returning to the rounded-edged design, albeit in a very subtle manner.

It doesn’t look like a very strong curve but should help make the phone a lot comfier in hand.

The use of titanium is also interesting since the iPhones have featured stainless steel for a while now.

Titanium is a remarkably light material with an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.
It should finally help shave off several grams off the Pro models, which of late are getting dangerously close to tablet territory weight-wise.

6) Have the Cameras grown even thicker in the new IPhone 15 pro ?

Ans) Apple has once again increasing the size of the cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro. The bump has grown even thicker than it already was, with CAD files revealing that the lens protrusion has doubled since last year.

On the one hand, this will definitely not help with stability when the phone’s placed on a table.

But on the other, it suggests that Apple is stuffing the iPhone 15 Pro with significant camera upgrades.

Rumours seem to agree, saying that the phone will “capture more light and reduce overexposure or underexposure in certain settings.”

Also Read: iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max to feature classic buttons, solid-state plan changed in the end: Report

Also Read: iPhone 15 Pro Design Revealed through leaked renders to feature new titanium frame,camera bump , haptic buttons, USB-C port and new Deep Red colour