According to rumors, future iPhone models will feature custom buttons to
replace the current volume controls.
The volume buttons on future iP
hone models could disappear, replaced by a custom button that looks
similar to the Action Button that Apple introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max last year.
Action button on iPhone 15 Pro.
Action button on iPhone 15 Pro.
Recently, the technology giant has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) titled "Devices,
Methods and Graphical User Interfaces for Configuring Configurable Input Regions".
Illustrations included with the patent application show that the current volume controls on the iPhone would be replaced with a pair of
Action Buttons, bringing the number of buttons on the left side of the phone to three.
Will iPhone no longer have volume up and down buttons? - 2Will iPhone n
o longer have volume up and down buttons? - 3Image of Apple's new patent.
Image of Apple's new patent.
Watch More Image Part 2 >>>
Customizable buttons could provide iPhone users with status inf
ormation more efficiently and quickly. In addition to showing illus
trations of how the patent might be implemented on an iPhone, the patent appli
cation also shows how it might work on a tablet/Mac and Apple Watch screen.
This is not yet a definitive confirmation that Apple will use this feature, but the patent images also show that the company is con
sidering offering more customizable buttons on future devices.
Currently, the Action button allows iPhone users to select one of 12 option
s. The selected task is performed when the user holds the button. Apple has also enabled support for third-party apps, which could make the Action Button more useful in the future.
