The iPhone 15 could look very different. Prototypes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max reveal a radical design that has never been seen before: Tactile buttons replace traditional mechanical volume and power buttons. At the time, this innovative design was known under the code name “Project Bongo”.

According to an AppleInsider report based on information provided by an Apple prototype collector, The earliest known Project Bongo designs date back to 2021Two years before the iPhone 15 Pro was launched.

During The prototype of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with tactile buttons is thought to be ready by the beginning of April 2023.

Apple was hoping to introduce an iPhone 15 Pro with tactile buttons

Haptic button on iPhone 15 Pro prototype to be discontinued in April 2023

Prototype images show the haptic buttons seamlessly integrated into the design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. They were the same size and shape and in the same location as traditional mechanical buttons, but they offered a completely different user experience.

In the same images, you can see that the Action button first seen on the iPhone 15 Pro has received only minor changes, becoming more rounded and wider.

Unlike mechanical buttons that produce a physical click, Tactile buttons used vibrations and tactile signals to simulate the feeling of pressure.

According to AppleInsider’s report, Apple created an electromagnetically driven aversion engine known as the “Bongo Haptic Engine” to drive the prototype’s response:

The Bongo tactile motor was an electromagnetic reluctance motor consisting of a ferromagnetic core and a copper coil that together formed a solenoid. It produced tactile feedback by oscillating relative to a pull plate located below, as a normal tactile motor does.

Why was the iPhone 15 Pro with tactile buttons rejected?

Tactile buttons offer potential advantages such as greater durability, precision and customization options, Apple decided to replace them with traditional mechanical buttons In the latest models of the iPhone 15 Pro, due to technical difficulties in ensuring the reliability and durability of the other system.

Apple opts for reliability and durability of mechanical keys for iPhone 15 Pro Max

In the world of technology, the most promising ideas can encounter technical or other obstacles that prevent them from coming to fruition. Trial and error are constant in the quest to improve user experience. But this progress shows that: Having an iPhone with tactile buttons will eventually happen.

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