iPhone 16 Series Might Have a Camera Button, Swipe-to-Zoom Gestures

Several rumours and leaks so far have suggested that the upcoming iPhone 16 series will feature a camera button on the lower right edge, meant to function like a traditional camera shutter button when the phone is held in landscape orientation. Various reports have speculated that it might be a touch-sensitive button, rather than a physical one. Now, it appears that the button will not only feature the half-press to lock focus and full-press to take a shot, but also be able to recognise swipe gestures that will be mapped to zoom controls.

This means that users might potentially be able to zoom in and out to compose their shot, and then take a photo, all without having to move their finger or adjust their grip on the iPhone they are using. As per The Information, Apple will in fact use a physical button but its surface will be able to register taps and gestures. It could also be used to launch the camera app and take a photo quickly with a single action.

Many phones in the past have had a physical camera button in this location, and Apple itself included one in this spot when it released its Smart Battery Case back in 2019. The feature has largely disappeared from smartphones in recent years as manufacturers look to cut costs and minimalist designs have become the norm. 

The growing likelihood of such a feature being added to iPhones marks a departure from Apple’s minimalist design philosophy. Last year, Apple released the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max without a physical Mute switch, which had been a staple of all iPhone models since the original in 2017. Instead, these models have an Action button which can be reprogrammed to trigger one of several preset actions or a custom shortcut. The entire iPhone 16 lineup is rumoured to get this feature, or a capacitive touch-based version rather than a physical button.

Apple had previously been reported to be working on replacing the Mute switch and volume buttons with a touch-sensitive strip that would generate haptic vibration feedback when pressed, much like the trackpads on current MacBook models. This strip also might have been able to recognise pressure and gestures, however this design was reportedly scrapped late in the iPhone 15 development cycle due to production complexity and issues with input recognition.

Other companies such as Asus have used side-mounted buttons or touch-sensitive areas to simulate game controller trigger buttons. If upcoming iPhones do feature this button, it is unknown whether Apple will allow actions and gestures to be customised, or whether other functions will be supported when the camera is not in use.