Amidst all the AI hype and rumors of modest upgrades on the next iPhone crop, there will be a not-so-subtle addition as well. Seems that Apple has discovered a new method of innovation – buttons. After adding the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 16 series is expected to get a new Capture Button across all the models.
As per reports, the Capture Button will be a mechanical button that will allow users to access the camera app and control various functions. You will be able to zoom in and out in the viewfinder by simply swiping on the button. The Capture Button is also expected to be pressure sensitive to bring functionalities like focusing in on an image with a light press and starting video recording with a hard press.
Understandably, the move is aimed at social media and photography enthusiasts who want to capture the moment quickly because swiping right from the lock screen to access the camera and pinching on the screen to zoom in-out is seemingly not cutting in for many.
With the Capture Button, this will be the 8th way to access the Camera app on iPhones. Other not-so-convenient methods include:
- Swipe right on the lock screen
- Camera icon on the lock screen itself (which can be disabled BTW)
- Opening the camera app directly
- From Control Center
- Using Back Tap gestures
- Assigning the camera app to the Action Button
- Asking Siri to open the camera app
This brings me to ponder whether Capture Button would prove to be a useful feature after all. The Action Button on iPhone 15 is pretty versatile and Apple has a nice interface to toggle between different modes but I’ve really not seen my friends with iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max use that as much as Apple would want them to.
Zooming in and out, and starting video with the press of a button could be assigned to volume rockers. We have seen other OEMs offer programmable volume buttons, but then it wouldn’t satisfy the liking that Apple has recently developed for buttons, it seems. In total, there will be 5 physical buttons on iPhone 16 if rumors turn out to be true.
Whether the Capture Button would turn out to be more useful than the Action Button is a question that only time will be able to tell but at the moment
What are your thoughts about Apple’s rumored Capture Button plan on iPhone 16 series?
