iPhone 15 Pro capacitive buttons will even work with gloves and cases

It addresses many concerns about how the new solid-state buttons will work in real world scenarios

Alleged CAD image of iPhone 15 Pro
(Image credit: TikTok/Chenwen1987)

It's fair to say the iPhone 15 range looks set to be the most eagerly anticipated phone release in Apple's recent history. A host of early leaks and rumours have given us a good idea of the kind of upgrades we can expect.

The Pro line sounds especially interesting. Among a host of rumoured features – like a titanium case and a 3nm processor – the Pro models are expected to do away with traditional physical buttons, replacing them with capacitive ones instead. In theory, that should improve water resistance, by removing another potential entry point into the handset.

It has prompted some questions about how it will work, though. Earlier this week, I wrote about how the buttons will work even if the phone is dead. That came from a source within Apple's development team, and now the same source has commented again, addressing concerns about how they'll work with gloves, or a phone case.

In a comment on the same thread, the user said, "Those capacitive buttons will work very well with gloves and cases if designed correctly, as there’s a sensitivity toggle." That's great news, and should allow users to use all of the functions of their handset in any scenario. 

With an expected release date around September, were still some way out from seeing these models in the flesh. Keep your eyes peeled at the 2023 WWDC event in June, though, as we could get a glimpse of them there.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.