Apple has ordered a large quantity of capacitive button components from a Taiwanese supplier that will supposedly be used in the upcoming iPhone 16 series, claims a new report out of Asia.
According to the Economic Daily News, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering won the order, which is said to include system-in-package (SIP) modules that will be used to integrate captive components with two Taptic Engines, one on each side of the iPhone.
The report claims that Apple will replace the existing physical buttons on both sides of the iPhone 15 with capacitive versions that will give iPhone 16 users haptic feedback. The last type of button detects pressure and emulates the press of a physical button using a haptic (or Taptic) motor that generates vibrations.
Apple may have ordered the buttons in preparation for future production plans, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are intended for use on this year’s iPhone 16 models.
The first known prototypes of the iPhone 16 were thought to include haptic power and volume buttons. Project Bongo, as it was known internally, was a redesign of the volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15. However, it was scrapped in 2023 due to unresolved technical issues, according to Keynote USA sources. After the cancellation of the Bongo project, Apple returned to using mechanical buttons for the iPhone 16.
/article-new/2023/05/unbox-therapy-15-buttons.jpg "Apple Reportedly Orders Capacitive Button Components for Future iPhone Model")
Image credit: Keynote USA
As a result, most rumors suggest that the iPhone 16 models will have fully mechanical buttons, and this includes the rumored addition of a fourth button. According to The Information, Apple will add a new “Capture Button” to all iPhone 16 models, but the button is expected to be mechanical rather than capacitive and will still be able to respond to pressure and touch.
The button will be used to take photos and videos, and iPhone users will reportedly be able to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, focus with a light press, and trigger a recording with a stronger pressure.
Today’s report claims that the capacitive components will enter volume production in the third quarter of this year, which is unusually late in terms of Apple’s typical initial iPhone production, so the order may be for the iPhone line 17 instead of this year’s upcoming models. That said, as we saw with the iPhone 15 series, things can change quite late in the process, so watch this space.
Keynote USA News
For Latest Apple News. Follow @Keynote USA News on Twitter Or Google News.
