Apple Developing Solid 3ay4a State, Haptic Buttons for iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad, Tipster Claims

Apple has reportedly revived its Project Bongo initiative to replace mechanical buttons on the iPhone with haptic buttons. 2m349

Written by David Delima | Updated: 2 June 2025 12:26 IST

Apple Developing Solid-State, Haptic Buttons for iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad, Tipster Claims

iPhone 15 (pictured) and iPhone 16 series were previously tipped to arrive with haptic buttons 595b5n

Highlights

Apple has reportedly revived its Project Bongo initiative
The company could bring haptic buttons to the iPad, Apple Watch
Apple has yet to announce plans to do away with physical buttons

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Apple has resumed its efforts to upgrade the iPhone with solid-state, haptic buttons, according to a tipster. The company's initiative to replace the mechanical buttons on its smartphones could also be expanded to the Apple Watch and the iPad. In 2022, reports claimed that the first handset from the company to feature haptic buttons would be the iPhone 15, but the company's plans were shelved due to manufacturing issues. The company's previous iPhone models with a Touch ID sensor have been equipped with a haptic Home button.

Apple's Project Bongo Initiative Working on Fixing 'Mistouches' 2tq1v

A tipster known as Instant Digital (translated from Chinese) states in a Weibo post that Apple is working on bringing haptic buttons to its "whole product line". The leaker previously claimed that the company had restarted work on its Project Bongo initiative, and has now claimed that Apple is exploring the addition of tactile buttons on the iPad and the Apple Watch.

Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Weibo

Bringing solid state buttons to the iPhone and other products have several advantages, and the most notable one is improved durability — the "button" does not have any moving parts. Another advantage is the ability to detect when a solid-state button is pressed firmly or lightly, and perform different actions accordingly.

Apple's Base iPhone 17 May Miss Out on Chipset Upgrade

If the tipster's claims are accurate, the company has resumed working on haptic buttons for the iPhone, months after the project was reportedly shelved due to production challenges. TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously predicted the iPhone 16 was also tipped to arrive with these buttons last year.

While the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 didn't arrive with haptic buttons, Instant Digital says that this delay was not due to manufacturing issues. Instead, Apple has been working on preventing accidental touches and offering the provided by a physical button, according to the tipster.

Apple has already added haptic buttons to older iPhone models, ranging from the iPhone SE (2022). These handsets featured a solid-state button that provided tactile using the haptic engine inside the smartphone.

Even if Apple manages to solve existing issues with haptic buttons, it's unclear when Apple plans to introduce these buttons on its smartphones. s might have to wait for a couple of years before the company introduces new products equipped with tactile, solid-state buttons — possibly the iPhone 18 or iPhone 19 series in 2026 or 2027, respectively.

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KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

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iPhone 16 5b187

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Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A18

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

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NEWS
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Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
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Improved cameras
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Bad
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Rear Camera 12-megapixel

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Storage 32GB

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KEY SPECS
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Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
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Read detailed Apple iPhone SE (2022) review

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Front Camera 7-megapixel

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David Delima

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As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be ed via email at [email protected], on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More