We’re already in the iPhone 16 era, but taking a look at old Apple prototypes is always interesting as we can see details that the company scrapped during the development process. Now a rare iPhone 14 Pro prototype gives us a closer look at what the rumored haptic volume button might look like.

This iPhone 14 Pro prototype was built even 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 that the idea didn’t work out as expected and Apple ended up not changing the buttons. Even the new Action Button is a pressable 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 from May 2021, which is 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 the screen pretty much confirms this.

However, this phone differs a lot 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 logic board is similar to that of the 13 lineup, but it lacks the SIM card slot. At the same time, the battery is covered in metal just like on the iPhone 16 Pro.

The rumored solid-state volume button

But there’s one aspect that really stands out on this iPhone prototype, and that’s the volume button. That’s right, “button” in the singular. Rather than 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 a long time.

The iPhone has “RANGER-DROP” engraved on the side, which suggests that the prototype was intended for durability testing. Given that the device has no real cameras or microphones, it seems that it was made specifically to test the new volume button.

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

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

It’s unclear at this point whether 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 section below.

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