TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated today that Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro series models will feature solid-state volume and power buttons, adding that if the change is well received, other high-end devices may follow suit. Presumably, this will include the iPad Pro and perhaps the Apple Watch Ultra.
Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that the iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with two additional Taptic Engines, which will provide tactile feedback when the button is pressed, but the button will not actually move. This is similar to the solid-state Home button introduced on the iPhone 7 and the Force Touch trackpad on the MacBook.
In a series of tweets today, Kuo pointed out that Cirrus Logic, the supplier of the control IC chip for the iPhone’s Taptic Engine, will benefit from the change.
Kuo said that as a result of this design change, the number of Taptic Engines used per iPhone will increase from the current one to three. Therefore, existing Taptic Engine suppliers Luxshare Precision (first supplier) and AAC Technologies (second supplier) will be significant beneficiaries. It is expected that high-end Android phones will also follow Apple’s design to create new selling points, which is structurally positive for the mobile phone vibration module industry.
The solid-state buttons on the iPhone can provide better water resistance, and the previous moving parts will wear or break over time. The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to still feature traditional physical buttons.
