There probably won’t be too many surprises when the iPhone 15 line is unveiled later today (September 12), as these upcoming handsets have been extensively leaked, with one of the most touted features now being all but confirmed by a case maker.
The feature in question is an Action button, and the case maker is Spigen, which – via GSMArena – has posted an image on X (formerly known as Twitter) of the side of a case-covered iPhone, clearly showing a button where the mute switch would be on current models.
If that wasn’t clear enough, the post includes the text “something’s different”, and a mention of today’s Apple September event.
something’s different ????…#AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/xVPT7Xx7svSeptember 11, 2023
The Action button is expected to be a configurable button, that you can use as a shortcut to an app or feature of your choice, much like the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Specifically, according to one Action button leak it will be able to launch the camera, toggle the flashlight on and off, let you mute and unmute the phone, launch the Translate app, launch the Magnifier app, open the Voice Memos app, active or deactivate a Focus mode, toggle an accessibility feature, or run a shortcut from the Shortcuts app.
An iPhone 15 Pro feature
The Action button is something that’s been mentioned many times already, so there’s little doubt that we’ll see it revealed today. But as a major case maker it’s likely Spigen has inside information, so it posting that image all but confirms the feature will be present.
However, the Action button is thought to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will probably retain the mute switch.
We’ll know for sure soon, as Apple is set to announce the iPhone 15 line at 10am PT / 1am ET / 6pm BST today, or at 3am Wednesday, September 13 if you’re in Australia. We’ve got an iPhone 15 event live blog running where you can read about all the announcements and our analysis of them, but you can also tune in to the event online – here’s how to watch the Apple September event live.
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