Apple is working on touch-sensitive side buttons for the Apple Watch, according to a new report by Fast Company. Citing “a source with direct knowledge of Apple’s plans,” the report says that Apple will stick with the same button configuration that is found on current Apple Watch models, but instead of using mechanical buttons, the controls will be solid-state, providing haptic feedback similar to the home button that was introduced with the iPhone 7, although the report notes that the Digital Crown will still actually rotate.
The new button design could be coming to the Apple Watch as early as this fall, but if not they will appear in the 2019 models. The design change will allow the watch to remain more easily waterproof as well as free up internal space for a larger battery.
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