April 23, 2024 – Recent reports indicate that ASE Technology has secured a significant order from Apple for the capacitive button system-in-package (SiP) modules in the upcoming iPhone 16 series.
These innovative buttons are set to replace the traditional physical volume and power buttons located on the sides of the phone, resembling the pressure-sensitive Home button featured on iPhone models like the 7, 8, and SE2.
To enhance the tactile feedback of these “solid-state” buttons and mimic the feel of pressing physical buttons, Apple is rumored to be adding an additional Taptic Engine motor inside the iPhone’s body.
Apple has long been pursuing a completely port-free and button-free design philosophy, aiming to eliminate interfaces and buttons altogether. Currently, it appears that the process of eliminating buttons is progressing faster than that of eliminating ports.
If the capacitive buttons are indeed featured in the final production version of the iPhone 16 Pro, market feedback could determine whether Apple decides to completely eliminate physical buttons in the iPhone 17 Pro.
