by The iPhone 15 is still a long way off, but we’ve already heard plenty of rumors about it. New to the stack is an analyst prediction that Pro models are going to get solid-state haptic buttons that don’t physically move and sit flush with the phones body.
That’s according to Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley, based in part on comments from Cirrus Logic CEO John Forsyth (via MacRumors (opens in a new tab)). Cirrus Logic already provides some of the haptic technology in current iPhones.
The company mentioned that new components will hit the market in the second half of next year, which coincides with when Apple is going to release new iPhones, and… well, you can see why people are joining. at points.
Click or turn
These buttons use vibrations to simulate the feeling of being touched, even though they don’t actually move – see also trackpads on newer MacBook models and home buttons on recent iPhone SE phones.
This backs up a prediction we heard from famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in October. He also thinks the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (if that’s what they’re called) will go without physical buttons, although they’ll apparently still be attached to the cheaper iPhone 15 models.
We should know for sure in September 2023. Using solid-state buttons would improve water resistance and reduce the chance of mechanical failure, though of course you don’t get as satisfying a clicky feel (at least in our opinion).
Analysis: Pro becomes Pro-er
Over the past two years, we’ve seen Apple add more and more features to Pro-level iPhones to make them the most attractive options – and with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, they had in made a faster processor for the first time.
It looks like this trend will continue into next year, something we’ve been hearing for some time. This pushes consumers towards the more expensive models and means that standard editions can be produced more cheaply.
Previous rumors suggest we’re looking at a jump to 8GB of RAM for the iPhone 15 Pro next year, along with a periscope camera. There will of course also be a brand new processor, most likely the A17 Bionic (while the A16 comes in the standard iPhone 15).
There has also been talk of an iPhone 15 Ultra, which could replace the iPhone 14 Pro Max in next year’s lineup. This would differentiate the available models even more – and would undoubtedly result in a steep price tag.
