Apple iPhone 16 series could get a new capacitive button, according to a post on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo. In addition, the company is also said to plan to relocate the mmWave antenna on the iPhone 16 devices to accommodate the new button. The latest information is in line with a previous report by MacRumors which claimed that the new “Capture Button” is called “Project Nova” internally. The website attributed anonymous sources.
The Action button, introduced on the iPhone 15 this year will also be updated to be capacitive on the iPhone 16, according to the report. These changes will reportedly roll out for all of the iPhone 16 series including the base model iPhone 16 , iPhone 16 Plus, and higher-end iPhone 16 Pro.
Apple iPhone 16 Series Could Get New Capacitive Button (Expected)
The new capacitive button could be added below the sleep/wake button on the right on the iPhone 16 models. The mmWave cutout, which is present below the sleep/wake buttons on the current-generation iPhone models, will be relocated below the volume buttons on the left.
While the position of the sleep/wake button and volume keys are expected to remain unchanged on the iPhone 16, the mmWave button is being relocated to accommodate the new “Capture Button”, as per Weibo user Instant Digital. As per the post, “it is very likely” that there is an extra button on the right side.
The position of the Action button above the volume keys on the iPhone 15 models will remain unchanged as well, though the button itself could be changed to a capacitive one. This is known internally as “Project Atlas”, MacRumors said in a report. The Action button can be programmed to do a number of things like turn on/off the camera or the flashlight, and more, but the functionality of the “Capture Button” remains unknown at this point.
What Are Capacitive Buttons?
The visual difference is that the physical buttons are protruding, while the capacitive buttons look completely flat. The buttons work when the electric charge in the human body comes in contact with it and causes an interference. In simple words, the buttons take advantage of a haptic engine to offer haptic feedback when they detect touch or pressure. Meanwhile, the physical buttons give tactile feedback when pressed.
Even though the iPhone 15 smartphones were launched only two months back in September 2023, the leaks relating to Apple’s next-generation iPhone have already started pouring in. Therefore, it is suggested that they be taken with a pinch of salt. The report points out that Apple could change its plans later and not introduce any new buttons on the iPhone 16 models.
In this context, the MacRumors report talks about Apple experimenting with capacitive buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro, during its early development, which was later cancelled due to a significant number of hardware issues. The project, which was internally called “Bongo”, was set up to replace power and volume buttons with capacitive buttons, according to the report.
