Push-to-talk calling never really appealed to me, at least not until I stumbled onto the Apple Watch’s best kept secret feature—its walkie-talkie app—while browsing through the device’s several watch faces. The iPhone 15 Pro may take a feature that I’ve grown to rely on frequently as speculation regarding the addition of an Action button becomes more credible. And my enthusiasm about this prospect is at an all-time high.

Given how consumers have grown accustomed to the physical mute switch on current models, this significant change to the iPhone 15 Pro’s design may be divisive. However, a reported action button opens the door to a host of potential new iPhone features. The majority of people are undoubtedly anticipating additional changes, like as a new periscope camera and a more robust titanium frame with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but getting an iPhone that functions as a walkie-talkie would be pretty fantastic.

The rumored iPhone 15 Pro has a notch for a USB-C port and an Action button, and although Apple’s planned September iPhone 15 event is less than a month away, the most recent leaks have me anticipating an iPhone walkie-talkie feature. Here is why.

Activating custom functions

The fact that the new button may serve as a launcher for many different things makes it one of the more useful arguments for adding an Action button like the one on the Apple Watch Ultra. The Action button may be altered to function as a push-to-talk button between iPhone users if it turns out to be a haptic, capacitive button.

Uncovered code in the most recent iOS 17 beta 4 release indicates a number of presets that may be linked to an action button, including a mute feature that consumers will likely overlook. Other shortcuts discovered in the code also show how the Action button might be used for purposes other than launching the apps and features seen in the current iPhone. In fact, sophisticated activities could be carried out by utilizing the iOS Shortcuts app in a certain way.

The Action button might theoretically be programmed to call someone; however, you would then need to wait for them to receive the call and hopefully not go to voicemail. It would be more useful if the new button on the iPhone 15 Pro models could connect us with the person we’re wanting to reach right away.

This should be integrated into the iPhone natively

Apple would need to add the function directly to iOS for the Action button to operate flawlessly as a walkie-talkie. It can only currently be accessed using watchOS. However, if iOS were to be updated to include support, earlier iPhone models might also be able to use this function, whether it is a part of the iPhone’s integrated Phone or FaceTime apps.

In fact, FaceTime is essential for the Apple Watch’s walkie-talkie feature to function. You wouldn’t be able to make use of your watch as a walkie-talkie if FaceTime was disabled or removed. An alternative method of communication would be available to iPhone users if it were made a native feature of iOS.

My iPhone 14 Pro Max is running the iOS 17 public beta, but it hasn’t produced any direct iPhone-to-iPhone communication functionality. However, it’s possible that Apple will implement this in the future.

Topics #Apple #iPhone #IPhone 14 #Iphone 14 pro #Iphone 15 #steve jobs