It appears that Apple has backed out of its plans to incorporate the “solid-state button” in the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro, which is set to be released in the fall. This button was a touch-based system with haptic vibration functionality that allowed users to adjust the volume with just a touch. After this news was reported, the stock price of “Cirrus Logic,” the company that owns the technology, dropped by as much as 15% during trading hours.
On April 12, TF International Securities analyst Guo Mingchi, a leading expert on Apple, revealed that “due to unresolved technical issues, Apple had no choice but to abandon its plans to implement the solid-state button.”
The company was reportedly planning to replace the existing switch that performed the mute function with the solid-state button, which was divided into one long button instead of the previous two separate buttons for volume control on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, the premium models of the iPhone 15.
Guo believes that even if Apple doesn’t implement the solid-state button, it will have a limited impact on the production and shipment schedules of the iPhone 15 Pro models. He explained that “if Apple removes the solid-state button and restores the physical button, it would simplify the development and testing processes for the iPhone 15.”
However, Guo also stated that “the iPhone 15 Pro is currently in the engineering verification testing (EVT) stage, leaving time for design modifications.”
If Apple does abandon plans to incorporate the solid-state button, the design of the iPhone 15 will remain the same as the previous model, with the existing buttons for muting and volume control.
However, according to renderings leaked by Apple specialists and IT tipsters, the charging port on the iPhone 15 will be changed from a Lightning port to a USB-C port, which could be the main design difference between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15.
Guo also mentioned on his social media account that “the incorporation of the solid-state button on the iPhone 15 Pro was expected to increase profits for Apple’s supply chain companies,” adding that “this is bad news for suppliers such as Cirrus Logic and AAC Technology.” Following this news, the stock price of Cirrus Logic plummeted by 12.32%, while Apple’s stock price fell by 0.44% compared to the previous day.