The new capacitive solid-state buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will function even when the device is shut off or the battery is empty, thanks to the usage of an ultra-low energy microprocessor.
The information below is believed to be legitimate because its source is the same forum user who provided accurate information about Dynamic Island before the iPhone 14 Pro was unveiled last year.
The new microprocessor will take the place of Apple’s current super-low energy mode, which enables Apple Pay Express Mode to be used for up to five hours after the battery runs out and enables an iPhone to be located via Find My after it has been powered off or for up to 24 hours if its battery has been depleted.
According to rumors, whether the phone is turned on, off, or the battery is low, the new chip will take over these current Bluetooth LE/Ultra Wideband functionalities and power the solid-state buttons, including an “action” button that takes the place of the mute switch. The tipster claims that even when the phone is off or shut down, the microprocessor will “instantly sense capacitive button presses, holds, and even detect their version of 3D Touch with the new volume up/down button, action button, and power button.”
The source further asserts that the battery is not completely dead when the device is shut down and with and without Taptic Engine feedback being tested. Although it is still being evaluated, they continued, “whether this tidbit makes it to production is quite doubtful.”
The source asserts that their “man inside” Apple has observed two operational prototypes of the rumored new unified volume button in testing, including one where the volume can be changed by swiping a finger up and down on the button and another where the volume can be changed by the amount of force applied when pressed. The software makes these features possible so that this capability can be user-customizable, albeit they are still determining which approach will be used for the final release.
If the physical aspects of the new models require software development to complement them, the anonymous tipster claims that their inside source is the Apple development team. If this is the case, they only have additional information regarding the design of the new models.
Previous reports have suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro variants will only feature solid-state capacitive buttons. The classic button mechanism from the iPhone 14 series is still present in the regular iPhone 15 models. The mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro is also believed to be getting a software-customizable replacement, while the up/down volume buttons will be replaced by a single volume “rocker” or button. See the links below to one of our specialized roundups for everything else we know about the new iPhone 15 series.
