The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode.

Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to pressure. Here's everything the button will be able to do, according to rumors:

• Lightly press on the button to autofocus while capturing an image or video.
• Press harder on the button to take a photo.
• Swipe left and right on the button to zoom in and out.
• There may also be a gesture for switching between photo mode and video mode, similar to how you can capture a video with a press and swipe in the iPhone camera app.

The ability to autofocus with a light press on the button will be a gesture that DSLR camera owners are used to, as this is often how you autofocus when using a high-end camera.

Apple plans to put the button on the right side of the iPhone, in the space where the mmWave antenna is on iPhones that are sold in the United States. The mmWave antenna will be moving to the left side of the device to make space.

The Capture Button has been depicted in CAD renders and dummy models of all four iPhone devices, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week suggested that there is a possibility that it will only be available on the Pro models.

With the Capture Button, Apple will be able to encourage users to take images and videos captured in landscape orientation, which are better viewed on the Vision Pro headset.

Along with a Capture Button, the ‌iPhone 16‌ models will feature slightly bigger displays, a new A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, and 8GB RAM for all models, which is necessary to power Apple's AI models. For more on what's expected, make sure to check out our iPhone 16 roundup.