The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a low-energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.
The source of this rumor is the same forum member that shared accurate details about the Dynamic Island last year before the iPhone 14 Pro was officially launched, so there is good reason to believe this is reliable information.
According to the anonymous source, the new micro-processor will replace Apple’s current super-low energy mode that allows an iPhone to be located via Find My for up to 24 hours after it has been powered off or its battery has been depleted, and enables Apple Pay Express Mode to be used when the iPhone is dead. It will allegedly take over these existing functions In addition to powering the solid-state buttons.
The source also claims that the feature is currently being tested with and without Taptic Engine feedback while powered off, but not while the battery is dead. “Whether this tidbit makes it to production or not is highly uncertain but IS being tested,” they added.
The source also claims that their “man inside” Apple has seen two versions of the rumored new unified volume button functionality in testing, including one where the volume goes up/down faster depending on the amount of force used when pressing, and another where the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down with a finger. They do not know which method will be adopted for the final release, but they are enabled by software.
The anonymous tipster claims that their inside source is on the Apple development team, so they do not have additional information about the design of the new models unless the physical features require software development to complement them.Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro
This article, “iPhone 15 Pro Low Energy Microprocessor Allows Solid-State Buttons and Other Functions to Remain Active When Device Is Powered Off” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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