Apple supplier hints iPhone 15 Pro will feature solid-state touch volume/power buttons

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic may have vaguely hinted that next year's iPhone 15 Pro models will use solid-state touch buttons, according to research firm Barclays.

In a letter to shareholders this month, the Texas-based semiconductor company said it continues to "engage with a strategic customer" and expects to "launch a new HPMS component in smartphones next year." HPMS refers to Cirrus Logic's high-performance mixed-signal chips, which include the Taptic Engine's tactile driver in the iPhone.

During an earnings call with analysts this month, Cirrus Logic CEO John Forsyth narrowed the time frame for the new component to "the second half of next year," which would coincide with the launch of the iPhone 15 series models next September. consistent.

Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley said in an investor note last week that the new component mentioned by Cirrus Logic is likely part of the additional Taptic Engine for the tactile buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models, "in research When it comes to potential use cases, the biggest change in next year's new iPhone models is the elimination of physical buttons, which will require additional drivers for the Taptic Engine, making it the most likely new use case."

It is understood that well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in October that the iPhone 15 Pro models will use solid-state volume and power buttons. Kuo said the devices will feature two additional Taptic Engines that provide haptic feedback to simulate the feeling of pressing keys without requiring them to physically move, similar to the home button on recent iPhone SE models or newer ones. Force Touch trackpad on MacBook.

Touch keys on iPhone will provide greater water resistance and will eliminate the potential for wear or damage to moving parts over time. However, the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to still use mechanical buttons.