If you are an iPhone enthusiast, this news might surprise you. A recent rumour says the new Apple iPhone 16 could replace its physical volume and power keys with capacitive touch keys. That said, what should you know about it?
According to reports, ASE has won an exclusive order from Apple to provide two SiPs (System in Package) for the upcoming iPhone 16 series. This type of button will replace the physical volume and power buttons on both sides of the fuselage, creating a pressure-sensitive Home button similar to the iPhone 7/8/SE2 and other models.
Last year, Apple only replaced the power button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, calling it the "action button." This small but important change allows users to power off the device and opens up a range of functionality based on how the user interacts with the button. Similar changes are said to be in the iPhone 16 series, with Apple likely taking this feature to the next level.
According to Lianhe Wanbao, ASE has received millions of orders. The manufacturer is busy expanding production and preparing to ship these components in large quantities in the third quarter of this year. Although this year's iPhone 16 series is said to lack compelling features and therefore see shipments decline, the California-based giant still plans to ship millions of phones in the latest series. This prompted ASE to upgrade its production facilities to meet demand.
In addition, these orders will increase the supplier's annual revenue while providing Apple with components to upgrade iPhone 16 functionality. It's unclear what unique features the company will integrate into the volume buttons, but rumours suggest that the action button on the upcoming model could be programmed as a camera shutter, similar to what SONY does on its high-end Xperia series.
Moreover, Apple's long-standing pursuit is to be completely non-porous. That means, the company plans to eliminate openings such as interfaces and buttons. As it stands, the process of eliminating buttons is faster than eliminating interfaces. However, this depends on the phone’s reception. If everything goes smoothly, Apple might completely eliminate physical buttons on the Apple iPhone 17 Pro.
We have yet to confirm other details on this matter or the Malaysia release date for the iPhone 16. So, we should wait for further confirmation from Apple.
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