iPhone 16 Pro May Have a Dedicated Shutter Release Button

Aug 14, 2024

Jeremy Gray

iPhone 15 Pro | Credit: Apple

Now that Google has unveiled its exciting new Pixel 9 series, including the very impressive AI-assisted Pixel 9 Pro, it’s time to look ahead to the next major smartphone announcement: The iPhone 16 series.

While Apple has yet to disclose anything about the highly anticipated iPhone 16 smartphones or announce when this year’s edition of the annual iPhone reveal will occur, exciting details are still floating around.

Very reliable Apple insider, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, recently shared some interesting insights into the iPhone 16 family in his weekly Power On newsletter.

Among other information, like that Apple is developing an even smaller new Mac Mini computer, Gurman says that the iPhone 16 series will likely comprise the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the phones won’t look significantly different from last year’s models — following Apple’s typical pattern of not entirely reinventing the wheel each generation.

An image showing the new iPhone with the Action button located on the side. The screen has a vibrant photo of a person with a focus on their face. Text above reads, "Get in on the Action button," and next to the phone are various customizable options for the button. — *Bloomberg*‘s Mark Gurman suggests the standard iPhone 16 will get the Action button introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) last year.

“The big marketing point will be Apple Intelligence, the company’s new suite of AI capabilities. All the iPhone 16 models will run Apple Intelligence, but it will also work with the iPhone 15 Pro versions,” Gurman reports, confirming what Apple itself alluded to this summer.

But some physical changes are still on the way. Most interestingly to mobile photographers, Gurman says the Action button introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will also be available on non-Pro iPhone 16 devices. Better yet, Gurman says that “at least” the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will also include a new dedicated camera control button.

Close-up images of a smartphone: the left side shows three camera lenses and a microphone cutout on a sleek metallic back; the right side displays volume buttons on the phone's edge, highlighting the design and finish of the device. — iPhone 15 Pro | Credit: Apple

Gurman believes this button will operate like the shutter release on an interchangeable lens camera, including half-press for autofocus and full press for image capture. The insider adds that the button’s surface will also include some sort of touch sensitivity, allowing smartphone shooters to swipe the button to zoom in and out while snapping photos and recording video.

A close-up of a green iguana with spiky scales along its back and a dewlap on its throat, lying along a dark, textured branch. The background is black, highlighting the vivid colors and intricate details of the iguana's scales and claws. — iPhone 15 Pro sample image | Credit: Apple

While it’s expected that the most significant changes coming to the iPhone family this year will be software-related, including iOS 18, currently in beta, a revamped Photos app, and Apple Intelligence, if Gurman is correct, as he usually is, there may also be some compelling hardware changes coming for iPhone photographers.