OPINION: We have a few days left MWC starting and hosting some of the biggest Android phone releases in 2023, but it’s the future of the iPhone that’s been making waves since the start of the year.
Despite the fact that iPhone 14 series has been on the shelves for less than five months – and with probably another eight months to go until its successor is revealed on stage in Cupertino – talk of what the iPhone 15 could highlight has already begun to grow.
As with any leak, especially one surrounding something as popular as the iPhone, they should be taken, even from more reliable sources, with a fairly large grain of salt. However, if some of these reported changes do become a reality, I might have some concerns about the direction the iPhone 15 is headed.
My concern started with the conversation about transitioning from physical buttons towards capacitive versions, a rumor that has circulated many times over the past few years. The idea here is that instead of buttons actually being pressed when interacted with, they just feel like they’re being pressed, but don’t actually move.
Apple has successfully made these changes before, notably on the MacBook trackpad. Pick up any last one MacBook and the large touchpad doesn’t actually move when tapped, instead tiny vibrations from the haptic motor create a sense of motion. It’s a compelling effect that gets better every time the technology improves.
However, the idea of ​​completely removing all buttons on the iPhone doesn’t seem quite right. This will eliminate any tactile feedback and requires software that always works perfectly. I’ve had many instances where my iPhone has become unresponsive due to software bugs and crashes and the only way to reset it is to press buttons – completely remove the buttons and it goes away.
There was also a lot let’s talk about the changed design that we can see with the iPhone 15 Proincluding switching to the screen with a more obvious curve to it.
Android phones, especially high-end flagship offerings from Samsung, Xiaomi and Oppo have favored highly curved screens, cramming more display into a thinner body. I’ve always felt that this design feature looked slick, but seriously hindered usability on larger devices. I prefer the sleeker style that Apple has been using, but this could come with the iPhone 15.
A hard curve would be a step in the wrong direction in my opinion, as the phone would be harder to grip, hold and use just to make the device look a little smoother.
Fortunately, some of the chatter has suggested that the curve will be more subtle, similar to what the recent Apple Watch looked like. This change will allow the phone to have thinner bezels, as some areas around the screen will hang over the sides.
Of course, there was more positive news surrounding the iPhone 15 series. The transition to USB-C is confirmed (even if it’s a Pro model that uses the port entirely), and this is a change that has been needed for many years.
With the iPhone 15 announcement still more than a year away, there’s plenty of time for things to change and more news to leak, but based on what’s been revealed, I’m a little worried about the direction the device could be heading in .
