iPhone 15 Pro Models to Sport Solid-State Buttons, Three Taptic Engines: Ming-Chi Kuo

iPhone 15 units could feature additional Taptic Engines on the internal left and right sides to provide haptic feedback to users.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 28 October 2022 13:10 IST

iPhone 15 Pro Models to Sport Solid-State Buttons, Three Taptic Engines: Ming-Chi Kuo

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 15 models are expected to feature a USB Type-C charging port

Highlights

iPhone 15 is expected to launch in the second half of 2023
Next generation iPhone models could come with USB Type-C ports
Flagship iPhone models are could feature improved haptic feedback

iPhone 14 series was unveiled during the company's ‘Far Out' event in September but rumours of next year's iPhone models, speculated to be the iPhone 15 series, have already started surfacing online. A reputed market analyst has now suggested that the high-end models in Apple's 2023 iPhone family will debut with solid-state buttons instead of physical volume and power buttons, similar to the home buttons on iPhone 7, iPhone 8 and iPhone SE units. Kuo forecasts that iPhone 15 smartphones would come equipped with three Taptic Engine vibration motors to simulate the feeling of a click. The analyst states that a button-less design and support for USB type-C charging would be the major highlights of the iPhone 15 range.

On Friday, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that physical volume and power buttons on next year's two high-end iPhone 15 models will be replaced with solid-state buttons. The volume and power buttons of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could adopt a solid-state button design similar to the home button design of the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3. He also indicates that the launch of iPhone 15 lineup will take place in the second half of next year, which aligns with Apple's usual release window for new iPhone models.

(1/6)
My latest survey indicates that the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 & 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 28, 2022

Kuo says Apple will equip the next-generation iPhone models with Taptic Engines on the internal left and right sides to provide haptic feedback similar to the physical clicking of buttons. Upcoming iPhone 15 models are expected to come equipped with three Taptic engines in lieu of one vibration motor on the iPhone 14. Kuo notes that the move could benefit Apple's existing Taptic Engine suppliers - Luxshare ICT and AAC Technologies and the shipments of Taptic Engine would grow by 80 percent to 100 percent YoY in 2023.

Further, Kuo said high-end Android phones will also follow Apple's design to create new selling points, adding that this would be a structural positive for the mobile phone vibration motor industry. iPhone 15 is expected to switch from lightning cable to USB Type-C charging. According to Kuo, Buttonless design and USB Type-C port would be the two major updates for iPhone 15.

iPhone 14 Plus Production Cut by Apple Due to Weak Demand: TrendForce

The iPhone 15 lineup is tipped to include the regular iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are tipped to come equipped with Apple's next-generation A17 Bionic chip and 8GB of RAM. The non-Pro models could be equipped with this year's A16 Bionic chip.

iPad Pro With 16-Inch Display in the Works, May Arrive in Q4 2023: Report

Apple unveiled eight new products at its September ‘Far Out' event. Which ones will float — and which will sink? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Apple iPhone 7

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Good battery life
Improved cameras
iOS 10, timely updates

Bad
Low light camera performance not best in class

Read detailed Apple iPhone 7 review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A10 Fusion

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 32GB

Battery Capacity 1960mAh

OS iOS 10

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Apple iPhone 8

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Insane performance
Vastly improved cameras
Wireless charging
Assured, timely software updates

Bad
Same old design
First party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone 8 review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A11 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 1821mAh

OS iOS 11

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Apple iPhone SE (2022)

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Powerful SoC
IP67 rating, wireless charging
Slim and light
Regular software updates

Bad
Small, low-res display
Gets warm when stressed
Average low-light camera performance
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone SE (2022) review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB, 128GB, 256GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone SE (2020)

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Modern processor
Slim, light, easy to use
Good daylight camera performance
Regular iOS updates likely for many years

Bad
Dated looks and small screen
Single rear camera
Average battery life
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone SE (2020) review

Display 4.70-inch

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 13

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Ultra, Apple iPhone 15 Series, Apple, iPhone 15 Series

Nithya P Nair

Email Nithya P Nair

Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More