The iPhone 17 Pro could merge the action button with the volume buttons, perhaps inspired by its own camera control hardware

The iPhone 17 Pro could merge the action button with the volume buttons, perhaps inspired by its own camera control hardware

In recent years, it has been reported that the company is planning to introduce a solid-state solution for its iPhone buttons. However, the company has already launched two generations of iPhone after the news first broke. Now it is reported that Apple will do without the action button on the iPhone 17 Pro models and merge it with the volume button.

The iPhone 17 Pro could have one less button as the company could consolidate the action and volume buttons

As mentioned earlier, Apple planned to introduce a solid-state solution with an extended volume button for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. In case you’re unfamiliar with tech lingo, the iPhone should have a single but long row of buttons that wouldn’t 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 that name Majin Bu claims he was told about a change that will affect the iPhone 17 Pro model. Apple has made great strides in introducing new buttons across the iPhone lineup, having introduced a new action button last year and a new camera control button this year. Next year, the company may plan to merge the volume and action buttons to minimize distractions.

It remains to be seen how Apple will pull off this feat, but based on recent trends, we suspect the company could make use of capacitive touch technology, similar to the camera control button. In case you’re unfamiliar, the camera controls act as a standard button, but also have built-in capacitive controls, meaning you can swipe up and down for various tasks.

That means if the company plans to merge the action button and volume buttons, it could use the same technology. For example, a normal press would trigger action button controls, while simple taps and swipes would adjust the device’s volume. These are just speculations based on our understanding of how the company might 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 previous reports suggest will be more expensive than the “Pro” models but could serve as an experimental device for the company. The folding of the buttons is reported specifically for the iPhone 17 Pro, but it could also occur on the standard iPhone 17 models. Do you think Apple will merge the volume and action buttons on the iPhone 17 Pro?

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