Apple iPhone 16 may ditch physical buttons - Times of India

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There have been rumours for several years that

Apple

intends to eliminate physical buttons on its iPhones. A recent report suggests that this may finally happen with the

iPhone 16

, which could feature capacitive buttons that provide haptic feedback.

The Economic Daily News reports that Apple has ordered capacitive button components from Taiwanese supplier Advanced Semiconductor Engineering which will integrate them with two

Taptic Engine

motors on each side of the iPhone 16.

The buttons will mimic the feel of physical buttons by detecting pressure and providing vibration feedback through the Taptic Engines. This design change could allow for a more seamless unibody design and potentially improve water and dust resistance.

Apple had plans to remove physical buttons in iPhone 15

Rumours of Apple using capacitive buttons have been circulating for years. The company was expected to make the switch with the

iPhone 15

lineup last year with "Project Bongo," but this was cancelled due to unresolved technical challenges. Apple then reverted to using standard mechanical buttons for the iPhone 15 series, but introduced a new mechanical "

Action Button

" replacing the mute switch on the Pro models.

The report claims the capacitive button components for the iPhone 16 will enter production in the third quarter of 2024. However, some analysts have expressed scepticism, noting the unusually late production timeline could push the capacitive buttons to the 2025 iPhone 17 instead. Apple's product roadmaps are subject to change, as evidenced by the iPhone 15's last-minute button redesign pivot.

If Apple does move forward with capacitive buttons for iPhone 16, it will represent one of the most significant design updates to the iPhone since the device eliminated the home button in 2017 with the iPhone X. The change could be controversial if consumers resist saying goodbye to the familiar clicky physical buttons.

The iPhone 16 models are said to come with a new "Capture Button," which, according to rumours, would be used to quickly open the camera app. Additionally, the "Action Button" currently found on the iPhone 15 Pro models is said to replace the mute switch on non-Pro iPhone 16 models and iPhone 16 Pro models.