Apple is rumored to be working on a few surprises for the Apple iPhone 15 series in 2019. One of these surprises will reportedly be the reintroduction of haptic technology for physical controls on Apple’s smartphones. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with TF International Securities, has predicted that Apple will replace the clicky power and volume buttons on the sides of the Pro models with “solid-state” keys in the coming year.
So, it is reported by Ming-Chi Kuo that the iPhone 15 series are going to use a solid-state power button (a power button embedded below the display, I'm guessing with a similar implementation to iPhone 7/8/SE, but not in a form of a button). pic.twitter.com/14DRkDDhOm
— Alvin (@sondesix) October 28, 2022
Kuo explains further that Apple will position the Taptic Engine array along the vertical edge of the phone on both the left and right sides. The volume and power buttons no longer have a clicking action.
For those who aren’t aware, this is the same technology Apple uses to make virtual buttons feel like the real thing when clicking on a mouse or trackpad. An excellent illustration of this is the glass-covered touchpad used on MacBooks; when tapped, it provides a pleasing vibration that mimics the satisfying sensation of a physical click.
Apple included a comparable piece of technology within the Touch ID home button on both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 8 Plus. Users merely needed to tap on the button, and the Taptic Engine would create vibration feedback to imitate the feeling of pressing the button. This was done in place of a button that could push down when it was pressed.
A technique quite similar to this one was employed by Huawei for the Mate 30 Pro, which had a very curved waterfall display that left no room for a physical volume dial. To make amends for this, the Chinese manufacturer of smartphones opted to implement an on-screen method for controlling the volume.
On the iPhone 15 Pro, it is not known whether Apple will stick with its typical metallic flat-edge design or whether we will finally see a curved display style for the first time. On the other hand, the implementation will very certainly be successful, principally because the Taptic Engine will be present on both the left and the right sides.
Upping The Ante For Innovation
It’s interesting to note that installing a Taptic Engine on either side might just solve the dexterity issue. On an iPhone, the physical button that activates the device is located on the right side of the device, while the volume rocker is located on the left side of the device.
Apple might enable users to switch the location of the volume and power buttons along the left and right sides of the device using a button-less technique that depends on a mechanism involving a vibration motor. This would be accomplished by using a vibration motor mechanism.
There have been rumors that Apple intends to increase the RAM capacity of the iPhone 15 series to 8GB, which would be an increase from the current 6GB. According to reports, the camera system is going to receive the most significant update. There have been rumors that Apple is considering adding a telephoto camera with a periscope-like design to the iPhone 15 Pro versions. This would greatly increase the range of lossless optical zoom.
Despite having a starting price of $1,000, Apple’s greatest product now has a maximum optical zoom range of three times. On the other hand, Android competitors such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra have reaped the benefits of a periscope (also known as a folding lens) telephoto camera system, which enables them to produce 10x optical and 30x hybrid zoom output, and can even go as far as 100x digital zoom.
Apple’s vice president of worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, has confirmed that Apple will have to comply with the new EU regulation and switch the iPhone to USB-C. The iPhone 15 lineup next year is expected to feature USB-C pic.twitter.com/ORo1iLZVYa
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) October 26, 2022
Last but not least, there’s the mouthwatering rumor about USB-C, which Apple just verified earlier this week. If the deadline of 2024 that was set by the EU is anything to go by, Apple might wish to make an early start by placing a USB-C port on its phones beginning with the iPhone 15 family next year. However, Apple won’t specify exactly when its phones will migrate away from the Lightning port.
Final Words
Although nothing has been confirmed as of yet, rumors have stated that the iPhone 15 will feature USB-C, a periscope camera, and a modem chip created by Apple. The following is a summary of what we know about the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro so far, but keep in mind that it’s still very early in the development cycle and Apple’s intentions could alter.