This might sound funny, but it seems the biggest hardware updates for iPhones are reserved for the buttons. After adding an Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro, and then adding a Camera Control shutter across the iPhone 16 series, it seems the iPhone 17 Pro will introduce yet another take on a button.
As reliable leaker Majin Bu reports, Apple is reportedly testing “a new button that will replace the volume buttons and the Action Button that have been removed” on its next flagship.
This new button will be deeply customizable and might even serve as a one-stop shop for volume adjustments and profile switching. However, keep in mind that this design formula could be just one of the many prototypes under testing at Apple’s design labs.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of Apple experimenting with different button implementations on its smartphones. In the past couple of years, we heard murmurs claiming that a capacitive volume button was on its way, but it eventually materialized as a multifunctional camera shutter button on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.
Given Apple’s love for sticking with the same fundamental language and then iterating on it, there is little chance that we will get three different button overhauls in three years. Plus, combining the profile/Action Button roles with the volume adjustment keys sounds like a confusing recipe with a learning curve.
One practical way of implementing it could be pushing volume adjustments behind gesture-based slides while profile switching and shortcut actions are based on a physical, tactile press. Moreover, if the size is large enough, maybe users can even customize what a single tap or double tap at the top and bottom accomplishes.
Of course, it’s too early to live in an imaginary Apple realm and put too much faith in such rumors. However, it seems like next year’s biggest surprise could be the rumored iPhone 17 Air, a super slim and light iPhone that likely injects some fresh energy into Apple’s smartphone lineup, but it could also end up being pricier than even the top-end Pro Max models.
Apple has already made major changes to the battery architecture of the iPhone 16 lineup, making them easier to access. We are also hearing reports that the company is eyeing additional hardware changes that will make iPhones more repairable to align with right-to-repair and electronic waste regulations in the coming years. It would be interesting to see how Apple balances those pressing hardware challenges while reportedly serving up a reimagined hybrid button system.