Solid-state buttons and Taptic Engine could feature in next Apple Watch

Towards the end of last year, Apple unveiled the latest iteration of its Watch in the form of the Series 3, boasting improved hardware including a dual-core processor as well as optional cellular connectivity thanks to the adoption of eSIM technology. However, barely a month after being officially released, some units began to suffer display issues, manifesting in a striped effect running along the edge of the Watch's display.

Now, it appears that Apple could implement solid-state buttons in an upcoming model of its Watch. With such a button having previously been implemented in the iPhone, starting with the 6S and 6S Plus, a source close to the matter has told Fast Company that both the button and digital crown on the Apple Watch will follow suit, with haptic feedback generated by the company's Taptic Engine. While both buttons will not physically move when pressed, the digital crown will still rotate as it does in existing models.

The change may further bolster the Apple Watch's water resistance, which may be of some comfort if you happen to find yourself in shark-infested waters for an extended period of time.

Behind the scenes, the Cupertino-based company has been looking at ways to use the top of buttons to provide an additional sensor to capture data, like heart rhythm, which benefit from more than one point of contact with the skin. Ultimately, though, Apple envisions a Watch void of all buttons that have been replaced by touch sensitive areas around its circumference.

According to the report, the shift to solid-state buttons could take place in an Apple Watch announced this fall or, if that fails to occur, in the 2019 iteration of the wearable.

Source: Fast Company via Engadget