Exciting Leak Reveals iPhone 15’s New Action Button and Capacitive Volume Buttons

The upcoming iPhone 15 series has been heavily discussed in recent reports, with most indicating that Apple will switch to solid-state buttons next year. This would mean a delay in the expected design change to capacitive buttons, including an Apple Watch Ultra-like Action button, for the iPhone 15 Pro. However, a new leaker on Twitter, @analyst941, claims that the capacitive buttons are still planned for this year’s iPhone 15, and has even detailed additional features for the Action button beyond muting the handset.

This leaker has a track record of accuracy, having accurately leaked information about the iPhone 14’s Dynamic Island last year. They have also shared information on upcoming iOS 17 features, including support for sideloading. In more recent tweets, @analyst941 has insisted that all of the iPhone 15’s buttons will be capacitive and that rumors of the iPhone 15 Pro lacking capacitive buttons are “fake news.”

While some analysts have claimed that the switch to capacitive buttons has been postponed, @analyst941 remains confident that they will still be included in the iPhone 15 series. Only time will tell which prediction proves to be correct, but for now, the debate over the iPhone 15’s button design continues.

In recent leaks, it has been revealed that the upcoming iPhone 15 will have an Action button that will replace the Volume Up button for certain functionalities. According to the leaker, to restart the iPhone 15, you will need to press the Power button and the Action button simultaneously. Within the Camera app, the Action button will have force-sensitive features that allow users to auto-focus the camera with a light press, capture a photo with a hard press, and capture/record video with a hard, long-hold press.

What’s interesting is that the Action button’s functionality could change depending on the app displayed on the screen, making the iPhone’s mute switch a lot more useful. Although the Action button is a great addition, I believe the switch to capacitive buttons is even more important for the iPhone’s future. It’s no secret that Apple is working towards creating the “perfect” iPhone design, and the move to capacitive buttons with the iPhone 15 is the first logical step.

Recent rumors about Apple postponing the switch are puzzling, as there is more evidence to suggest that the iPhone 15 will indeed have capacitive buttons. Leaked photos of purported iPhone 15 dummy units made of metal show a device with an Action button on the side and what appears to be a long Volume button. The device also features a Dynamic Island notch at the top and a strange cutout next to the buttons. Although it’s unclear when these photos were taken relative to recent claims, they seem to indicate that not only will the iPhone 15 Pro feature capacitive buttons, but the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will get them as well.