iPhone 16 tipped to have new 'capture button': 3 things it can do

It should change how you take pictures and videos on iPhone forever.
 By 
Kimberly Gedeon
 on 
iPhone 15 Pro on a table
A new button is coming to the iPhone 16, apparently. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The iPhone 16 is reportedly getting a new capture button, a dedicated feature that lets you take photos and videos more conveniently, according to The Information.

As The Verge pointed out, this rumor aligns with scuttlebutt from MacRumors, which claims the new camera-focused button will be located on the same side as the power button, but placed slightly lower on the device's edge.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPone 15 Pro Max on a table
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

3 things the 'capture button' can do

As mentioned, the capture button will reportedly be positioned on the lower-right edge of the iPhone 16. As such, if you were to turn the device to landscape mode, it should conveniently sit under your index finger, making it easy to snap photos and capture videos.


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What can it do? Here are three features the new capture button may offer:

1. Pressure sensitivity

MacRumors claims that the capture button won't be a traditional, mechanical one. It will, instead, be capacitive. In other words, it won't operate like a typical button that succumbs to pressure and hits an actuation point before running a function.

It will reportedly detect your touch and provide haptic feedback, similar to the Home Button on the iPhone SE series.

The Information disagrees, adding that the new capture button has both capabilities. It's a button that can be pushed, but it responds to touch gestures, too, like swiping left and right.

2. Zoom in and out

Using swiping gestures on the capture button reportedly lets you take close-up shots for photos and lets you zoom in while shooting videos.

3. Bring images into focus

If the user presses lightly on the capture button, it supposedly bring subjects into focus on the viewfinder. By pressing more firmly, however, users can activate the shutter button.

Final thoughts

iPhone 15 Pro models made a splash with a well-received new action button that lets users customize and program the button with apps and tasks that make their lives more seamless and efficient.

The action button is now expected to be featured on all iPhone 16 models. In the same way that the action button was limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, I expect the rumored new capture button to be featured on only the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Topics iPhone

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Kimberly Gedeon
East Coast Tech Editor

Kimberly Gedeon, at Mashable since 2023, is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.

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