iPhone 15 Pro rumored to pack big design changes, zero buttons

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly ditch the clicky buttons in favour of solid-state ones, among other big changes.

Alongside the move to volume and power buttons that don’t actually move, Apple is now also rumoured to have designs on using a new titanium frame for the entire device, adding more RAM in the process. All of these changes are expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, however. Those buying the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will not benefit from these changes.

That’s according to analyst Jeff Pu, at least. Pu was writing in a research note for Hong Kong investment firm Haitong International Securities when saying that the buttons will be replaced by two new Taptic Engines that will replicate the feel of clicky buttons. The move will be similar to the one that saw Apple replace the physical Home button on the iPhone 7, for example. Apple’s notebooks also feature trackpads that don’t move, using vibration to simulate a tap.

Alongside the new non-buttons, Pu also believes that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will get a new titanium construction while benefiting from increased amounts of RAM. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max both have 6GB of RAM, but next year’s iterations are said to have 8GB.

Further, Pu claims that the iPhone 15 Pro models will benefit from new A17 Bionic chips manufactured using TSMC’s 3nm process, likely ensuring speedy performance, reduced battery consumption, and better thermal performance.

If everything goes according to plan and previous release cadences, we can expect Apple to announce the new iPhone 15 lineup in or around September of this year.