The Volume and Power buttons of the iPhone 15 Pro versions were first said to be solid-state devices. Due to technological difficulties, Apple abandoned its intentions and decided to save the functionality for the iPhone 16 Pro versions released the following year. According to an expert, it seems that the iPhone 16 Pro versions will not have solid-state buttons either.
The iPhone’s solid-state buttons from Apple would forgo the mechanical design in favor of more Taptic Engines. Analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Securities had predicted that Apple will abandon the solid-state buttons in favor of the conventional mechanical buttons due to “unresolved technical issues before mass production.”
Pu now thinks that there is a little likelihood that the solid-state buttons would appear on the iPhone 16 Pro models, indicating that the business abandoned its intentions in May of this year. Remember that Apple has the last say since the business is known to offer features that were previously discarded.
The solid-state upgrade would enable non-mechanical button usage on the iPhone, where the buttons would just record commands rather than move physically. Since there will be fewer gaps for water to enter thanks to the solid-state buttons, the iPhone may be more water resistant. Additionally, it would increase durability owing to fewer moving components, lowering the likelihood of breaking.
Source: MacRumors