It was initially rumored that the iPhone 15 Pro models would come with a major design overhaul. The device was reported to feature solid-state buttons with additional Taptic Engine motors and an Action Button. It was later discovered that Apple reserved the solid-state buttons for the iPhone 16 Pro models as the upcoming models were slated to be only some of the changes. A new leak sheds light on the iPhone 15 Pro's design and what we should expect from it.

iPhone 15 Pro to feature only a few changes on the outside as suggested by leaked pre-release cases

New images of cases have surfaced online, which aim to provide a closer look at the design of the forthcoming iPhone 15 Pro. It can be seen that the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons on the device will be a little lower, and the same goes for the Power or Side button. You can see in the images embedded below that the iPhone 14 Pro features button placement slightly elevated.

The leaked image of the case also highlights a larger cutout on the bottom for a USB-C port. It was previously reported that the entire iPhone 15 lineup will house a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port to play nice with the EU laws. The cutout appears to be slightly bigger than the current cases since the USB-C port is heftier than the Lightning port.

You can also see a new Action Button on top of the Volume Buttons. The Action Button appears to be quite smaller than the Mute Switch, and it has a good reason. The Mute Switch operates in a mechanical fashion where it requires more space to maneuver. The Action Button, on the other hand, does not require such movements. However, we suspect that the Action Button will be mechanical this year, similar to the rest of the buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro. What this means is that Apple will adopt a solid-state approach throughout the buttons next year.

iPhone 15 Pro Max Case #apple #iphone #iphone15promax pic.twitter.com/DfRuoXWNiL

— Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) June 24, 2023

Another leaker shared images of the cases of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which showed similar results. The camera bump is comparatively bigger than the iPhone 14 Pro models, as Apple is rumored to house a periscope lens. All in all, the design variations this year appears to be marginal. However, the company could introduce bigger changes next year alongside the solid-state solution for the Volume, Power, and Action buttons. Would you consider upgrading this year?