Apple may bring this major button redesign in 20th anniversary iPhone model: Here’s how it means for users

Apple is reportedly developing a solid-state button system to replace all traditional mechanical buttons on its 20th-anniversary iPhone model, which is expected to launch in 2027. The new system, which would represent the most significant design change since the 2017 iPhone X, is said to include haptic feedback for the Side, volume, Action, and Camera Control buttons. According to the Weibo account of a Chinese leaker named "Setsuna Digital", the solid-state button design has also completed functional verification.In his Weibo post, the leaker wrote: “Apple's iPhone's solid-state key scheme has been functionally verified and is planned to be mass-produced on the iPhone 20 in 2027. At that time, the power key, volume key, operation button and camera control button will be upgraded to solid state buttons with local vibration feedback! Regarding the camera control button, it will take the lead in simplifying the structure on the iPhone 18 next year, eliminating the capacitive sensing layer and retaining only the pressure sensing recognition. Subsequent iterations introduce piezoelectric ceramics for local vibration feedback instead of demo.”This report revives earlier speculation about Apple's plans for haptic buttons. The technology, code-named "Project Bongo," was initially rumoured for the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023, then cancelled, and later rumoured for the iPhone 16 Pro before being postponed indefinitely. Previously, the leaker suggested that Apple is investigating haptic buttons for its "entire product line," including the iPad and Apple Watch.As per the report, Apple is developing solid-state haptic buttons that will minimise mechanical wear and allow users to distinguish between light and firm presses to perform different actions. These buttons are said to be integrated into the device frame with no physical movement, but Apple aims to make them feel like real buttons. The leaker speculates that Apple could use a vibration-based sound system and an AI-powered sound compensation algorithm to achieve this effect.The rumour aligns with claims that Apple’s upcoming 20th-anniversary iPhone may feature a bezel-free, cutout-free design with a display that curves around all four edges. In such a design, mechanical buttons would disrupt the seamless form, making haptic alternatives a more suitable option.A wraparound display may also allow button areas to merge with the screen, dynamically lighting up or changing in response to context. However, these details remain unverified, and Apple’s so-called “Project Bongo” has not been confirmed yet.