If you thought the “iPhones are getting solid-state, haptic buttons” rumors were dead, well… so did it. But according to Chinese leaker Instant Digital, Apple is back at it not just for future iPhones, but potentially for other products as well.
During the 2022 season of rumors for the iPhone 15, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was planning to replace the clickable power and volume buttons on high-end models with solid-state versions:
“My latest survey indicates that the volume button and power button of two high-end iPhone 15/2H23 new iPhone models may adopt a solid-state button design (similar to the home button design of iPhone 7/8/SE2 & 3) to replace the physical/mechanical button design.”
At the time, he said Apple would “rely on Taptic Engine vibration motors to simulate the feeling of a click,” which obviously didn’t come to pass. The idea was reportedly scrapped after Apple ran into manufacturing issues.
Project Bongo lives
Now, Instant Digital says Apple has restarted work on the initiative (codenamed “Project Bongo”) and has even expanded it. According to his post on Weibo, the company “has begun exploring haptic button solutions across its entire product line, including the iPad and Apple Watch,” not just the iPhone.
Today’s claim (via MacRumors) builds on a post he made about two months ago, suggesting that Apple had quietly resumed the project. Back then, he said the biggest hurdle wasn’t cost, but reliability.
Whether Apple has solved those problems remains to be seen. It is perfectly possible that the company’s experience with similar haptics mechanics in products like AirPods might give it a better handle on the tech this time around.
Still, don’t get your hopes up for a haptic-button iPhone 17. If the feature actually returns, it likely won’t land for another couple of years, assuming it doesn’t get scrapped yet again.
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