iPhone 16 Pro I predict the Camera control button will be gone in less than 3 years

[contacos]

I tried it with selfies but it's simply impossible without ending up with a shacky blurry photo.

It's also not as precise to get to the right zoom with a swipe

 

[Ctrlos]

I predict they’ll move it further down the phone so it’s actually comfortable to use

 

[AZFalconi]

I love having this feature.

 

[Macalway]

This thread should be lively

 

[Macalway]

I predict they’ll move it further down the phone so it’s actually comfortable to use

You have a point.

 

[boak]

For the vast majority of use cases, the on-screen control is way superior. Bigger display, larger range of scroll and better control.

 

[JRoDDz]

I like the button!

 

[thecautioners]

It's also not as precise to get to the right zoom with a swipe

Yep

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

I predict they’ll move it further down the phone so it’s actually comfortable to use

For landscape yes, but for portrait you want it higher, there’s no winning

 

[3Rock]

I’m already not fond of it. Maybe it’ll grow on me. Maybe it won’t but for right now I won’t use it much.

 

[Macalway]

Please post your complaints. Be specific. It seems like a good idea. But a sliding function, not so much.

the fear would be over time everyone not using it, but rather going into the phone to use controls.

 

[NvidiaIntelPC]

Some people just love to complain about anything new.
It’s not like they took the touchscreen away from you.
The camera button is super useful but if you don’t like it, just don’t use it.
Other phones, like Sony’s photography-focused models, have had it for years.
It’s about time Apple added something like this.

 

[mbhforum]

The action button is useless because Apple limits you to one designated action per press. I've been able to map up to 6 actions to the sleep button on my jailbroken devices.

I actually like the action button. The clubhouse in my community has an app via NFC to allow entry and it’s easy to press the button and swipe my phone then unlock the phone, open the app manually, etc.

 

[MazingerZND]

what a bunch of pessimists. Rumors of Apples buttonless iPhone and people complain. Apple gives people a programmable button and people complain. Apple adds a new button and people complain. It wouldn’t be the forums if people weren’t complaining.

I actually like the camera button. So far it seems nice, the swipe gesture is actually easier than I anticipated from the reviewers. I’m looking forward to a two stage shutter option when that is released. Ive been using the action button as a camera button on my 15 pro max, and having a dedicated camera button means I now can have the action button do something else!

This thing is a gimmick to a lot of us. Accept it and move on.

 

[Macalway]

Cool, you can like things and accept other people don’t. What makes you a fanboy is attacking people for their opinions only because they dislike something the company puts out.
This thing is a gimmick to a lot of us. Accept it and move on.

Why is it a gimmick? elaborate please. I want details. People say yay and nay, without details.

 

[Lobwedgephil]

After a year I still barely use the action button, I think this one will be a bit more useful for my uses.

 

[thecautioners]

It’s not like they took the touchscreen away from you.

iPhone 17 will be controlled and navigated solely by joystick

 

[MazingerZND]

Why is it a gimmick? elaborate please. I want details. People say yay and nay, without details.

Sure, I was lucky to be one of the first people to receive their iPhone 16 Pro so I can comment on it.
All of the actions you can perform with this button (it is a button, Apple) can be done faster and easier with on-screen controls.
Also, there are way too many new actions to learn in order to achieve…exactly what you could achieve before.
If there had been any significant changes to this year’s iPhones and this was just an additional thing, then it would have been fine. But they focused on it a lot during the event and they still promote it as a big thing…and it’s a button. An overengineered, complicated button that achieves nothing new.

A gimmick. A reason to justify a yearly upgrade when we all know it’s not needed.

The only reason, GOOD reason I see to upgrade to this year’s models is battery life (and hopefully no thermal issues like the ones found on iPhone 15 Pro).

On a separate note, the iPhone 16 colors are gorgeous. If they had Promotion I would have bought one of those instead (the teal and aquamarine are beautiful).

 

[NotApplicable]

I don’t think it’s a gimmick. I’m actually not a fan of the onscreen controls for adjusting settings; as a result, I never do. Whatever the camera gives me, I get. I’m loving the button; I’m actually changing settings around and don’t have to fiddle with the touchscreen!

And its functionality can and will be iteratively improved via software updates.

Bonus for those who don’t like it - it’s hard to accidentally press. Just pretend it’s the plastic mmWave antenna that used to be in this location — you’ll never know you have it!

 

[Macalway]

Sure, I was lucky to be one of the first people to receive their iPhone 16 Pro so I can comment on it.
All of the actions you can perform with this button (it is a button, Apple) can be done faster and easier with on-screen controls.
Also, there are way too many new actions to learn in order to achieve…exactly what you could achieve before.
If there had been any significant changes to this year’s iPhones and this was just an additional thing, then it would have been fine. But they focused on it a lot during the event and they still promote it as a big thing…and it’s a button. An overengineered, complicated button that achieves nothing new.

A gimmick. A reason to justify a yearly upgrade when we all know it’s not needed.

The only reason, GOOD reason I see to upgrade to this year’s models is battery life (and hopefully no thermal issues like the ones found on iPhone 15 Pro).

On a separate note, the iPhone 16 colors are gorgeous. If they had Promotion I would have bought one of those instead (the teal and aquamarine are beautiful).

Thanks. So you say it's not as useful as using on-srceen controls. I do understand how you can know right away if you are going to use something or not. I haven't used it so I don't know, but like the action button, it sounds like a good idea. However I knew right away it'd never use the action button, like I knew right away I'd never use the touchbar.

This seems like it could be useful, but I want to hear lots user experiences. It's interesting.

 

[blairh]

You heard it from me first.

Truly a gimmick.

It's not a gimmick. It's just really poorly placed in both orientations.

On the 16 PM, in portrait it's too low. In landscape it's too far left.

The idea of what it offers is great. But the button placement is just not right no matter how you hold your iPhone.

I am super letdown. The rare iPhone hardware miss by Apple.

 

[gentlefury]

You heard it from me first.

Truly a gimmick.

I hope not. I love it.

 

[haruhiko]

Sure, I was lucky to be one of the first people to receive their iPhone 16 Pro so I can comment on it.
All of the actions you can perform with this button (it is a button, Apple) can be done faster and easier with on-screen controls.
Also, there are way too many new actions to learn in order to achieve…exactly what you could achieve before.
If there had been any significant changes to this year’s iPhones and this was just an additional thing, then it would have been fine. But they focused on it a lot during the event and they still promote it as a big thing…and it’s a button. An overengineered, complicated button that achieves nothing new.

A gimmick. A reason to justify a yearly upgrade when we all know it’s not needed.

The only reason, GOOD reason I see to upgrade to this year’s models is battery life (and hopefully no thermal issues like the ones found on iPhone 15 Pro).

On a separate note, the iPhone 16 colors are gorgeous. If they had Promotion I would have bought one of those instead (the teal and aquamarine are beautiful).

Exactly this. The camera interface on the iPhone is so much superior to a traditional camera interface. I always wished Sony mirrorless camera to have a buttery smooth touch interface like the iPhone in addition to the traditional controls (for advanced / manual / customized photo taking - but actually these can also be “de-complicated” using touch controls). Apple adding back a half baked camera control button solely for camera controls that already existed in a far superior form i.e. the iOS touch interface? Nah for me. I’m not sold. Not to mention the minuscule differences between the 15PM and 16PM… I really wanted Apple to give me some reason to upgrade.

 

[gentlefury]

It's not a gimmick. It's just really poorly placed in both orientations.

On the 16 PM, in portrait it's too low. In landscape it's too far left.

The idea of what it offers is great. But the button placement is just not right no matter how you hold your iPhone.

I am super letdown. The rare iPhone hardware miss by Apple.

It’s the same distance as the volume rocker I’ve always used. I feel no difference, except being on the right side I can finally shoot portrait with my thumb instead of the awkward index finger thing I used to have to do.

 

[haruhiko]

It's not a gimmick. It's just really poorly placed in both orientations.

On the 16 PM, in portrait it's too low. In landscape it's too far left.

The idea of what it offers is great. But the button placement is just not right no matter how you hold your iPhone.

I am super letdown. The rare iPhone hardware miss by Apple.

They can’t put any other thing meaningful…
I think if they don’t massively improve it, it will go down the path of 3D Touch and Touch Bar (I’m not commenting on whether they are good or not - I liked 3D Touch too.).