Apple Could Replace Clickable Volume and Power Buttons on iPhone 15 Pro with Solid-State Buttons

Apple may be planning to replace the clickable volume and power buttons on the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro with solid-state buttons, according to a technology analyst. This could potentially become a standard for high-end phones if users respond favorably. The solid-state buttons will also come equipped with Taptic Engines to provide a “clicky” sensation when pressed, similar to real button feedback.

TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first one to report on this development in October, providing more details about it in his recent tweets. He stated that Cirrus Logic is likely going to be the primary winner of Apple's replacement of physical buttons for solid-state ones on its 2H23 high-end iPhones. Additionally, Kuo believes that these models will have additional Taptic Engines installed, which are designed specifically to simulate what it feels like when pressing physical buttons. 

It remains unclear how exactly this would affect user experience since having actual physical keys provides better tactile feedback than virtual ones do - something that cannot easily be replicated digitally, even with advanced technologies such as haptics or force touch sensors embedded into devices. Nevertheless, Apple has done away with the physical home button before without significant user backlash, so perhaps they can make it work again if their implementation is up to par and meets customer expectations. 

Furthermore, other manufacturers such as Samsung have already made use of solid-state keys before, so whether or not this becomes an industry standard might depend heavily on how well customers receive and adapts to the change from traditional clickable hardware keys being replaced by virtual equivalents. It'll also require some getting used to but given enough time, and people should eventually adapt unless there are some major issues present that hinder daily usage activities significantly after the transition is complete.  

Apple's decision regarding replacing clickable volume and power buttons on its upcoming iPhones still hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but leaked information suggests that their plans are indeed heading in said direction should user reception allow it. Some people may find this difficult at first due to the lack of tactile feedback associated with virtual keys; however, if all goes smoothly, then over time, these changes will become commonplace within the mobile market just like they did back when the Home button was replaced by Force Touch sensor a few years ago.