iPhone 16 Lineup Could Sport Capacitive Buttons as Apple Orders Components From Taiwanese Supplier: Report

While the iPhone 15 lineup arrived with mechanical buttons, Apple could finally introduce capacitive buttons with the purported iPhone 16 series.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 23 April 2024 17:03 IST

iPhone 16 Lineup Could Sport Capacitive Buttons as Apple Orders Components From Taiwanese Supplier: Report

Photo Credit: X/ Majin Bu (@majinbuofficial)

iPhone 15 series arrived with a new Action button in place of the mute switch

Highlights

iPhone 16 series could arrive with capacitive buttons
They are expected to replace Apple's mechanical volume, power buttons
Apple hasn't announced plans to upgrade buttons used on future iPhones

iPhone 16 could arrive later this year with capacitive buttons instead of physical buttons on either side of the handset, according to a Taiwanese news publication. The United Daily News reports that Apple could equip the purported iPhone 16 series with buttons that are capable of providing haptic feedback when touched, emulating the feeling of pressing a physical button. The company was previously rumoured to equip the iPhone 15 lineup with capacitive buttons, but reportedly abandoned the plans last year.

According to the report (in Chinese), Apple has ordered capacitive button components from Taiwan-based supplier Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE). The company reportedly plans to replace the physical volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15, with a new set of capacitive buttons that respond to touch with haptic feedback, that could arrive with the iPhone 16 series.

If the claims in the report are true, Apple could equip the iPhone 16 series with a system in package (SiP) module along with capacitive buttons that are paired with two Taptic (haptic) engine motors. These will allow the iPhone to emulate the feeling of pressing a physical button, as per the report.

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It's worth noting that this isn't the first time that Apple has been tipped to launch an iPhone equipped with capacitive buttons. The firm was reportedly planning on launching the current-generation iPhone 15 lineup with the advanced buttons, but the handset arrived with mechanical buttons instead.

Last year, Apple introduced the Action button — a programmable button that replaced the mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. That button is expected to make its way to the non-Pro models this year, while Apple is also rumoured to introduce a new 'Capture' button centred around the phone's camera.

As per the report, Apple wants the Taiwanese supplier to produce these components in Q3 2024, while Cupertino company is expected to launch its iPhone 16 series in the third quarter of this year, The company could instead postpone the inclusion of capacitive buttons to the iPhone 17 series, which is expected to arrive in 2025.

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iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 series, Capacitive buttons, iPhone 16 buttons, iPhone 16 features, Apple

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More