Apple might replace iPhone volume rockers with 3D touch tech

Apple's war against physical buttons is about to get fierce as the company has filed for a new patent that will eliminate another physical key from the iPhones. The company has already removed function keys for the MacBook Pro keyboard replacing them with the Touch Bar. The company also removed the home button from the iPhone.

It seems the Cupertino-based might wage war on the volume rockers. A newly filed patent shows a touch-sensitive rocker switch that will be incorporated in the iPhones and even the Apple Watch. The patent falls in line with a patent filed back in 2016, an highlights the use of multiple force sensors. This will help the company make more aesthetically pleasing designs for its flagship smartphone.

Apple has already used the Force Touch tech in the past. The tech can be seen in current generation iPhones and even the laptops have the feature incorporated in the touchpads. Additionally, the tech will make sense on the Apple Watch as well. The company is continuously working to make the watch more like a fitness tracker and this will help the rugged design.

Currently, the Apple Watch has a Crown and a button on the side, but the new tech will make the wearable less vulnerable to physical and water damage. The patent drawings show both iPhones and Apple Watches.

Well, this goes without saying, that this is just a patent and there's no certainty that it will ever make it to the production stage. Apple routinely files for patents but not all end up to real life.

Besides, the company has another patent in stores. It was published with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and shows a new keyboard that involves a glass panel. The new patent filed by Apple shows a multi-layered system that features a transformable piece of glass on the top and a touch-sensing layer beneath it.