Although there are rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with solid-state keys, the devices are equipped with traditional mechanical keys. The focus now is on whether solid-state buttons will appear in next year’s iPhone 16 series, but there are currently conflicting rumors as detailed below.

For context, solid-state buttons will provide haptic feedback when pressed to mimic the feeling of movement, similar to the Home button on the iPhone SE and the Force Touch trackpad on modern MacBooks. Mechanical keys actually move when pressed. All buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models are mechanical, including the new Action button that provides quick access to the desired function.

Advantages of solid-state buttons include fewer mechanical parts to break and increased water resistance. Solid-state buttons could potentially sit flush with the iPhone’s frame, allowing for a more seamless design.

Several analysts and leakers claimed that Apple was testing solid-state buttons on prototype iPhone 15 Pro models, but the company apparently decided not to delay the change until mass production began due to “technical issues.”

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic appears to have addressed the issue again, having confirmed that solid-state buttons were discontinued earlier this year. The supplier provided the following information in a letter to shareholders this week:

Finally, this quarter we completed the destruction of wafers previously associated with a new high-performance mixed signal (HPMS) product expected this year. As expected, the divestiture did not have a significant financial impact.

Cirrus Logic got rid of those plates because Apple canceled solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models, an equity research analyst at UK bank Barclays told us in an email. The devices were expected to have optional Taptic Engines that would provide haptic feedback when buttons are pressed, and Cirrus Logic was expected to provide Apple with the haptic drivers that would enable this feature.

The analyst also said that they do not expect the iPhone 16 models to have solid-state buttons, given that Cirrus Logic has disposed of its relevant inventory for the project. MacRumors Marko Zhivkovich thinks otherwise. Last month, Zivkovich announced that the entire iPhone 16 series would be equipped with solid-state Action and Capture buttons. The purpose of the capture button is unknown, and Apple cautioned that its plans could change again as development progresses.

Zivkovic said that on iPhone 16 models, if visible, there will be a Capture button under the power button on the right side. As a result, he said that the mmWave 5G antenna window on the iPhone 16 models sold in the USA will be moved to the left side of the devices, below the volume buttons. The rumor appears to have been confirmed by a leak on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, but it’s unclear whether the account confirmed the information on its own or simply repeated details shared by Zivkovic.

As a result, rumors about solid-state buttons for the iPhone 16 series are currently inconsistent; Some sources expect these, some do not. Apple’s plans will become clearer as the device launches get closer to next September.