The biggest deal about the 20th anniversary iPhone might be the buttons
The iPhone was introduced to the world in 2007, so the 20th anniversary is coming up in 2027. To mark the occasion, Apple is reportedly planning a radical design change, much like the iPhone X. One of these changes would involve a long-standing rumor regarding the iPhone’s buttons.
On Weibo, user Setsuna Digital, who has a proven track record of accuracy on Apple rumors, reports that the heptic button implementation has “completed functional verification” and is ready for production on the 2027 iPhone. All buttons will implement solid-state controls and Apple will use vibration feedback to give the user a feel for how they use the buttons. buttons.
Additionally, Setsuna Digital reports that the camera control button will be changed, with Apple removing the capacitive sensing layer, leaving only pressure sensing. “Later iterations will introduce piezoelectric ceramics for localized vibration feedback,” Setsuna Digital wrote. This could happen as soon as the iPhone 18 next year.
Rumors of Apple moving to haptic buttons date back to the iPhone 15, where Apple reportedly planned to implement solid-state button technology but changed course due to engineering issues. Haptic buttons have the advantage of having few moving parts, making them less subject to wear. To make the haptic buttons feel “real,” Setsuna Digital said a vibration-based sound system and AI audio algorithms can be used to provide physical feedback. Similar technology is already used in the MacBook trackpad.
The haptic buttons are just part of a major redesign that Apple has planned for 2027. Bloomberg’s Mark Guram recently reported that Apple was working on an iPhone design in 2027 that would “fit well” with the iOS 26 Liquid Glass user interface, with an iPhone featuring “curved glass edges all around.”
