- Both iPhone 16 models will feature a new camera "shoot button."
- It'll be on the lower right side, just below your index finger when you flip the phone to landscape mode.
- It may be pressure and slide sensitive for more control.
Both versions of the iPhone 16 will have another new button on the edge, which is a dedicated camera button. Because this is Apple, it's not just something you press. It's more like a tiny trackpad for controlling the camera.
According to technology news website The Information , the next iPhone will have a new "shoot button" on the lower right edge of the phone during normal use, which is located under the index finger of your right hand if you hold the phone like a camera. We'll get into the technical details later, but even if it was just a regular button that launched the camera app and grabbed a video or photo, it would be a very welcome addition.
"I'm a portrait photographer in Midland, Texas and love the idea of a camera control button! It's another button that the user will have to figure out, but it will give us more control over how we capture the images and I Believing the added complexity is worth the trade-off, I currently struggle to even improve exposure with the clunky slideshow feature offered by older iPhone cameras," portrait photographer Mistie Oliver told Lifewire via email. “Manual controls will allow photographers to experiment with multiple settings to create unique and creative effects in photos under various lighting conditions or challenging environments.”
The shooting button has been rumored before, but we like the additional details provided by The Information's Wayne Ma. The button will be an actual mobile click button, like the sleep/wake/power buttons above it, but it will also have a capacitive element, allowing it to detect swipes and sense pressure. This hybrid click/touch design is similar to the existing sleep/wake button on some iPad models and puts the fingerprint reader into a physical button.
As far as the shooting button goes, you can swipe to control things like the camera's zoom level, and you can use the pressure sensor to "half-press" the button to focus, just like a regular camera's shutter button.
The button also launches the Camera app if you press it while your iPhone is sleeping, making it very quick to take it out of your pocket and take a photo or video, just like the iPhone 15 Pro's Action button.
So why not just use action buttons? The main reason is that the action button is perfectly positioned under your index finger or thumb when you hold the iPhone in its usual portrait orientation, but doesn't work when you flip the phone horizontally to take a photo.
"The action button is poorly placed on the phone because you cover the lens with your finger or hand when using the button to take a photo," photographer Kari Bjorn told Lifewire via email.
Plus, based on anecdotal data (aka I ask friends and read my social media feeds), most people who own an iPhone 15 Pro have the action button set to activate the camera, which means it's a welcome enough feature that Can have its own button.
"While action buttons have their uses, dedicated camera buttons suggest a more nuanced approach to photography. Manual controls are essential for photographers seeking precise and creative control over their shots. The camera's dedicated buttons provide quick access to basic settings, Enhances the overall shooting experience,” professional travel photographer Kevin Mercier told Lifewire via email.
One odd factor here is that the capture button seems to be for landscape shots, like a real camera, rather than portrait shots, which has become the default for photos and videos in our smartphone-first world. So why did Apple decide to take this approach? My guess is this is all for Vision Pro.
iPhone 15 Pro can capture 3D "spatial video" for viewing on Vision Pro. This is done in landscape orientation, so it makes sense for Apple to push this aspect. If you compare the 15 Pro to the regular iPhone 15, you'll notice that only the 15 Pro has two cameras aligned horizontally, which is necessary for shooting 3D.
It's a pretty interesting time for Apple products, with long-standing design paradigms changing. But we hope we can do some customization there as well. To me, touchscreen photography is better than a regular camera in some ways, especially zoom and focus.
"As far as zoom control goes, I think it's risky. I teach mobile photography classes and almost all iPhone users know the pinch and expand method of zoom. That said, it could be a game changer in terms of accessibility, ” event and portrait photographer Don Orkoskey told Lifewire via email.
