As usual, anything new that Apple introduces to its phone lineup first makes its way only to the Pro models so, lo and behold, the Action Button is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
But there is a sacrifice being made here (well, at least a sacrifice for some) and that is the Mute Switch which has existed on iPhones since, believe it or not, Steve Jobs announced the OG iPhone all the way back in 2007.
The Mute Switch was one of those design elements that made the iPhone stand out. It has been a part of the user experience for years, so swapping it for a button entails a fundamental shift in the way users will interact with their iPhones.
On that note, let us see how Apple justifies this historic design change and how the new Action Button enriches the user experience on iPhone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Action Button explained
Remember the Apple Watch Ultra? Well, it was the first Apple device to get an Action Button. The button on the Apple Watch Ultra is programmable, meaning you can set it up to function in several ways depending on how you press it.
The Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max behaves in a very similar manner. Of course, users are still able to use it to silence their phone and that is the button’s default functionality. But what the Action Button allows that the Mute Switch couldn’t is the ability to customize it according to your needs.
Once the Action Button is pressed, depending on the action that you have set it to do, the phone will give a haptic feedback, while the Dynamic Island is utilized to show a visual cue related to the action.
Conclusion
The Mute Switch is a great feature, and its clicking sound as you move it up and down to silence/turn your iPhone to ring is likely embedded in every iPhone owner’s psyche. But the Action Button offers so much potential in the form of versatility that it is hard to be pessimistic about it.
In more than one way, the Action Button feels like the logical evolution of the Mute Switch and we are excited to see how it will affect the iPhone’s future.
