Apple would be testing a dedicated camera button on the iPhone 16. The component would be mechanical, but sensitive to touch and pressure, to provide more control options. It would be on the right side, at the bottom. Thus, when holding the device horizontally to take photos, the index finger of the right hand could squeeze it.
With sensitivity to touch (like a touchscreen, for example) and pressure, the iPhone 16’s camera button can be used to do more than just take photos and record videos. One possibility is to slide your finger sideways to control the zoom. Another is to use a light touch to activate focus, as happens in cameras.
An important point is that the camera button would be present on the entire iPhone 16 line, not just on the Pro models. In recent years, Apple has been adding new features only to the most expensive models, with the “basic” model receiving the features in the next year. It was like this, for example, with the 48-megapixel camera, the Dynamic Island and even the A16 Bionic chip.
This time, the news came from the website The Information. The report points out that the key would be a differentiator for content creators, as TikTok and other platforms are paying more attention to horizontal videos. The MacRumors website spoke about this issue as early as September 2023. In December, journalist Mark Gurman, from Bloomberg, reinforced this information.
Another button for the iPhone
Apple started tinkering with iPhone buttons in 2023. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max come with an Action Button in place of the silent mode switch. This new key can be programmed to trigger shortcuts, activate Focus modes, start a voice recording or turn on the flashlight, among other options.
The Action Button can also be used to open the camera and take photos. However, it is a common button, without the additional features that Apple is testing for the camera key.
In fact, this feature was once quite common in the smartphone market. About a decade ago, devices from Nokia (such as the Lumia 1020 ), Sony ( Xperia S ) and Motorola ( Razr i ) came with a dedicated camera button, to give some examples. Sony, in fact, is one of the few that maintains the “tradition”: the Xperia 1 V, from 2023, still comes with a photo key.
