Forget USB-C, Biggest upgrade on iPhone 15 will be something more crucial

iPhone 15 series is now said to ditch physical buttons in favour of touch capacitive ones.

iPhone 15 series could eventually ditch the physical buttons. (Representative Image) (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

The USB-C port on the iPhone 15 may not be the biggest upgrade we could see. In fact, it is something that is more crucial to you and me – physical buttons. The iPhone 15 series is going to bring in some huge changes when compared to the iPhone 14 series, and there are a couple of them to consider. Among the usual things such as camera, battery, and design, Apple is planning to get rid of buttons, thereby eliminating an aspect that has been on mobile phones since their origin.

The iPhone 15 series is expected to spawn four models, two of which will be the Pro variant. There is likely to be a base iPhone 15 and its bigger sibling, the iPhone 15 Plus. Then there will be an iPhone 15 Pro and its maxxed out variant – the iPhone 15 Ultra. While the exact details are still unclear, one of the leaks suggested that the iPhone 15 series could get rid of physical buttons.

iPhone 15 series with NO buttons

Confirmed earlier by Apple's supplier Cirrus Logic, it was said that Apple will opt for solid state buttons. The power key and volume keys on the iPhone 15 series are likely to be replaced by solid state buttons. The earnings call declaration said that the “largest change in new iPhone models next year is the removal of the buttons, which would require additional drivers for the haptics engine.”

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Hence, the iPhone 15 series devices opting for Solid State buttons will need an extra vibration motor to provide haptic feedback. The solid state buttons will allow for a clean look on the side and could also help improve the water and dust resistance.

Solid state buttons are not a new thing on the iPhone. Prior to this, Apple got rid of the physical Home button on the iPhone 7 and replaced it with a solid state button, using the Taptic Engine for vibrations to replicate a button press. This allowed Apple to provide IP rating for water and dust resistance.

What remains to be seen is whether Apple restricts this an exclusive feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. The Pro variants in recent years have flaunted all the advanced technologies from Apple. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have kicked off the notch in favour of the Dynamic Island, a new 48MP main camera sensor, macro mode photography, and an Always On display.