iPhone 16 May Ditch Physical Buttons

A new trend is emerging that other companies are likely to adopt.

Apple has ordered a large quantity of capacitive button components from a Taiwanese supplier, which are expected to be used in the upcoming series of iPhone 16. This information comes from a new report from Asia, as reported by MacRumors.

According to the source, the Economic Daily News, the order was received by Advanced Semiconductor Engineering. They will manufacture SIP modules that will be used to integrate capacitive components with two Taptic Engine vibration motors.

The report claims that Apple will replace the existing physical buttons on both sides of the smartphone with capacitive elements that will provide iPhone 16 users with haptic feedback. These buttons will be able to detect pressure and simulate a press through vibration.

Apple may have ordered these buttons in preparation for future production plans, but this does not mean they are intended for use in this year's iPhone 16 models.

Moreover, the report states that the capacitive components will begin production in the third quarter, which is unusually late considering Apple's typical schedule. Therefore, the order could very well be for the iPhone 17 lineup.