For the past few years, it has been reported that Apple is planning to adopt a solid-state solution for its buttons on the iPhone. However, the company released two generations of iPhones after the news first originated. It is now being reported that Apple will ditch the Action Button and merge it with the Volume Button on the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The iPhone 17 Pro could feature one less button, as the company could merge the Action and the Volume Buttons
As mentioned, Apple was planning to adopt a solid-state solution with an elongated Volume Button for the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16 lineup. If you are not familiar with the technical vernacular, the iPhone was supposed to feature a single but long volume of buttons, which would not be mechanical in nature. Instead, the company would opt for a Taptic Engine for Haptic Feedback, similar to how the company implemented the Camera Control Button.
A tipster who goes by the name Majin Bu claims that he has been told of a change that will be making its way to the iPhone 17 Pro model. Apple has been on a roll to introduce new buttons on the iPhone lineup, as it brought a new Action Button last year and a new Camera Control button this year. Next year, the company could be planning to merge the Volume and the Action Button to minimize distractions.
It remains to be seen how Apple will pull this feat off, but based on recent trends, we suspect that the company could make use of the capacitive touch technology, similar to the Camera Control Button. If you are not familiar with it, the Camera Control acts as a standard button, but it also has capacitive controls built in, which means that you can swipe up and down for various tasks.
This means that if the company does plan to merge the Action Button and Volume Buttons together, it could use the same technology. For instance, a standard press would initiate the Action Button control while the basic tap and swipes would adjust the volume of the device. These are only speculations based on our understanding of how the company could achieve this upgrade, and the final story could be very different for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Apple is also expected to launch the new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, which will be pricier than the 'Pro' models based on past reports, but it could serve as an experimental device for the company. The merging of buttons is specifically reported for the iPhone 17 Pro, but it could come to the standard iPhone 17 models as well. Do you think Apple will merge the volume and the Action Button on the iPhone 17 Pro?
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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