Apple Could Eliminate Physical Buttons Entirely on iPhone 17 Pro, Introducing a New Touch-Based Approach

Apple Could Eliminate Physical Buttons Entirely on iPhone 17 Pro, Introducing a New Touch-Based ApproachRumors of Apple adopting a solid-state button solution on the iPhone have been circulating for years. However, since these rumors first emerged, Apple has released two generations of iPhones with physical buttons still intact

Apple Could Eliminate Physical Buttons Entirely on iPhone 17 Pro, Introducing a New Touch-Based Approach

Rumors of Apple adopting a solid-state button solution on the iPhone have been circulating for years. However, since these rumors first emerged, Apple has released two generations of iPhones with physical buttons still intact. Now, new reports suggest that Apple will completely ditch the power button on the iPhone 17 Pro model, merging it with the volume buttons. This means the iPhone 17 Pro will have one fewer button.

Apple was reportedly planning to adopt a solid-state solution with elongated volume buttons for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. Instead of the traditional mechanical buttons, the iPhones would have used a single, but longer, volume button. This solution would have utilized the haptic engine for tactile feedback, similar to how Apple implemented the camera control button.

Tipster MajinBu claims he has been informed that changes are coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model. Apple has been introducing new buttons to its iPhone lineup, with the Action button added last year and the new camera control button this year. Next year, the company might be planning to merge the volume and power buttons to reduce confusion.

How Apple will achieve this shift remains to be seen, but based on recent trends, we speculate the company might leverage capacitive touch technology similar to the camera control button. The current camera control button on the iPhone 16 series acts like a standard button, but it also incorporates capacitive control, meaning users can slide it up and down to perform various tasks.

This suggests that if Apple plans to combine the power and volume buttons, it might utilize the same technology. For instance, a standard press could initiate the power button control, whereas a basic tap and swipe would adjust the device's volume. These are just assumptions based on our understanding of how the company might implement this upgrade.

Besides the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple is also expected to release a new, ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. Based on previous reports, this model will be priced higher than the Pro models, but it is potentially an experimental device for the company. The merged button system is reportedly slated specifically for the iPhone 17 Pro, but could also be introduced on the standard iPhone 17.

In conclusion, Apple seems to be designing a new interaction approach for the future of the iPhone, and solid-state buttons may become a trend in future smartphone interactions.