iPhone 16 Capture Button Will Let Users Control Focus, Use Swipe Gestures to Zoom: Report

iPhone 16 series is expected to debut later this year as the successor to Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup. The company’s latest phones brought the Dynamic Island, a 48-megapixel primary camera, and a USB Type-C port to all four models in the series, and the purported iPhone 16 models are expected to debut with a new hardware feature — a dedicated capture button. A recent report gives us an idea of how Apple’s dedicated camera button could function.

Citing two people with direct knowledge of the company’s development efforts, The Information reports that Apple’s rumoured capture button will help users capture images and video when the handset is held horizontally. The new button will support touch gestures, and will also respond to pressure, according to the report. Last year, Apple introduced the Action button with the iPhone 15 Pro models in place of the mute switch.

Just like the other existing buttons on the iPhone, the new capture button will be a mechanical button that will respond to pressure applied by the user, according to the report, which states that it will allow one to “bring images into focus by pressing it lightly and activate the shutter by pressing more firmly on the button.” This could help users quickly take images without having to interact with the screen, while making the process of capturing photos feel akin to using a digital camera.

Many Android smartphone makers equip the power button with a fingerprint sensor, while some models also allow users to swipe on the button to pull down the notification shade. In a similar fashion, the capture button on the iPhone 16 lineup is also said to support swipe gestures and users will reportedly be able to swipe left and right to zoom in and out on the button, as per the report.

Earlier this month, TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the iPhone 16 Pro would be equipped with upgraded ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras. We can expect to learn more details about these rumoured hardware upgrades on the iPhone 16 series of smartphones in the coming months.