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Rare iPhone 14 Pro prototype has a haptic volume button

Vaseline2 weeks ago

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Here's a look at a rare iPhone 14 Pro prototype with haptic volume buttons

We are already in the iPhone 16 era, but taking a look at old Apple prototypes is always interesting because we can see details that the company cut during the development process. Now, a rare iPhone 14 Pro prototype gives us a closer look at what the rumored haptic volume rocker could look like.

This prototype of the iPhone 14 Pro was built before the iPhone 13

The first rumors about the iPhone 15 Pro in early 2022 suggested that the device would have new solid-state buttons for volume and mute switch. However, it seems the idea didn’t work as expected and Apple ultimately didn’t change the buttons. Even the new Action Button is a pushable mechanical button with moving parts.

The YouTube channel ‘Apple Demo’, which is known for sharing details about Apple prototypes, has now shown the world a rare iPhone prototype. The prototype dates back to May 2021, so before the launch of the iPhone 13. However, as noted by Apple Demo, the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro prototypes were already in the final stages of development around the same time.

This means that the prototype shown by the collector is actually a super early version of the iPhone 14 Pro, which makes it super special. The presence of Dynamic Island on screen all but confirms this.

However, this phone is quite different from the final version of the iPhone 14 Pro. Inside, the device has a mix of components from the 13 Pro and 14 Pro. The motherboard is similar to that of the 13 series, but lacks a SIM card slot. At the same time, like the iPhone 16 Pro, the battery is covered with metal.

Here's a look at a rare iPhone 14 Pro prototype with a haptic volume rocker

The rumored solid-state volume knob

But there’s one aspect that really stands out about this iPhone prototype, and that’s the volume rocker. That’s right, “button” in the singular. Instead of two buttons to adjust the volume, the device has a single large button in addition to the classic mute/ring switch. The prototype confirms that Apple has been experimenting with solid-state buttons for some time.

The side of the iPhone is engraved with “RANGER-DROP,” suggesting the prototype was intended for durability testing. Considering the device doesn’t have any real cameras or microphones, it seems like it was made specifically to test the new volume rocker.

According to rumors at the time, Apple had plans to remove all mechanical buttons from the iPhone. The company even went on to increase the number of Taptic Engines on the phone to improve haptic feedback when users pressed the solid-state buttons.

However, analysts said Apple scrapped the idea due to its complexity. Some iPhone 15 Pro prototypes were also built with the new volume rocker, but the idea was eventually shelved. The iPhone 16 series still has the classic volume up and down buttons.

It’s unclear at this point if Apple still has plans to introduce solid-state buttons (especially since even the new Camera Control has moving parts). But what about you? Would you like to see this technology on the iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.