Apple, the iPhone 15 may not have physical buttons

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, an expert in the Apple world, returns to talk about the iPhone 15. The Pro and Pro Max models, due out in the fall, could be the first in Apple's history without physical keys.

Unlike smartphones currently on the market, even the volume rocker and power button would be replaced by touch actuators, eliminating the mechanical buttons.

The analyst did not talk about the charging port even if there are indications from many quarters that the next iPhones will integrate the USB-C standard, which the European Union has made mandatory for all smartphones from the end of 2024. The standard applies to devices with wired charging, one more reason, according to some, which would soon push Apple to eliminate any port from its phones, in favor of wireless power only, using MagSafe technology.

Returning to the keys, Ming-Chi Kuo states that the Cirrus Logic company will produce the solid-state buttons that will replace the mechanical ones.

To simulate physical pressure, the portions of the frame where the actuators will be positioned will mount Taptic Engine technology, i.e. a haptic feedback motor, responsible for recreating the click on the buttons.

Cirrus Logic should be the exclusive supplier for this type of hardware provided on the iPhone 15, so as to make it unique compared to the competition.

The analyst also explains that the novelty could also be adopted by iPads, if it is welcomed by industry experts and consumers.