One of the most interesting rumors about the iPhone 16 so far is that the incoming smartphone could have a so-called capture button, and some new rumors have revealed exactly how that could reinvent the traditional camera shutter button.
A Weibo account called Setsuna Digital (via MacRumors), which successfully predicted some Apple innovations in the past, such as the iPhone 15 Pro's space video, claimed that the Capture button will have a two-step action that will work like a traditional camera. shutter, allowing you to first focus and then take a photo.
Unless they've been set up with back-button focus, this is how most standalone cameras work: they allow you to lock the focus and exposure by lightly pressing the shutter and then recomposing the shot before pressing the shutter to take the photo. As Setsuna Digital points out, this could make Apple's next iPhone feel even more like a professional camera and video tool.
It wouldn't be the first smartphone to do this: the Sony Xperia 1 V also has a two-stage shutter button, although you can change this to a simpler setting using Basic mode. But what's particularly interesting about the rumored Capture button is that it doesn't just aim to mimic the traditional camera shutter.
According to a previous report from The Information, you'll also be able to swipe across the surface of the Capture button to zoom in and out of the scene. It will apparently also work for both photos and videos, as Apple is apparently finding that content creators are shooting more horizontal videos for large screens (rather than the vertical format favored by TikTok).
Considering ergonomics are one of the biggest weaknesses of smartphones compared to the best mirrorless cameras, rumors about this capture button could be good news for potential iPhone 16 owners, especially photographers. like me.
A big photographic improvement?
If you're planning to upgrade to an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro this year, the latest rumors suggest Apple is planning major photography and video improvements for those phones.
Both phones are expected to have the rumored Capture button, which would be one of the most significant hardware changes to the iPhone in a long time (possibly more so than this year's action button). It is expected to appear on the bottom right of the iPhone, with the current mmWave antenna moving to the left side of the phone.
As a photographer who decided to skip the iPhone 15 Pro this year, these rumors have me excited about upgrading this year. If the iPhone 16 Pro combines this new capture button with the 'tetraprism' periscope camera technology seen on the iPhone 15 Pro (which has been predicted by analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu), then it will be a powerful pocket camera.
While today's iPhones are incredible compact cameras, relying solely on a touch screen to take photos and record videos can feel like a downgrade from the touch experience of using one of the best cameras.
Given that the iPhone 16 Pro will also receive a 48MP ultra-wide camera, in addition to all the AI updates rumored since iOS 18, this could be a very good year to upgrade.
