iPhone 18 Said to Use Simpler Camera Control Button Design

[MacRumors]

Apple is working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on the iPhone 18 in order to reduce costs, claims an established Chinese leaker.

The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes.

However, according to the Weibo-based account Instant Digital, Apple will remove the capacitive sensing layer and retain only pressure sensing recognition in the second iteration to achieve all Camera Control functions on the iPhone 18.

The single-sensor approach is similar to designs found in devices like the OPPO X8 Ultra and vivo X200 Ultra, where pressure sensors alone can recognize light taps, firm presses, and sliding gestures.

In later iterations, the leaker claims piezoelectric ceramics will be introduced to provide localized haptic feedback. While it's not entirely clear, this could be part of a wholesale switch to solid-state buttons that Apple is allegedly working on and which will debut in the 20th anniversary iPhone.

• iPhone Camera Control: Everything You Need to Know

Instant Digital previously disputed rumors suggesting Apple plans to eliminate the Camera Control button from the iPhone 18. The simplified version is not about reducing functionality in the button, but about saving money. The current solution is said to be very expensive for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs.

The iPhone 18 Air, Pro, Pro Max, and foldable is expected to come in September 2026, while the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will launch in 2027.

Article Link: iPhone 18 Said to Use Simpler Camera Control Button Design

 

[MacUserFella]

It would cost less to just remove it entirely

 

[rsnhakan]

Please remove it and make the phone cheaper. Who uses this button?

 

[Apple-achian]

It would cost less to just remove it entirely

Their internal polling clearly shows that consumers love it

 

[beautyहमempty]

I love that I can use the button to go to the camera instantly. The pressure sensitive features are not important to me

 

[stiligFox]

I really thought the button was a cool idea but I swear it’s more fiddly to use than the screen buttons…

 

[attila]

I can't wait to not use this on my next iPhone.

 

[MacUserFella]

Their internal polling clearly shows that consumers love it

Where’s the correlation between this and how much it costs to add the button?

 

[SteveChocz]

I’d rather have a second action button to be honest.

 

[cardfan]

Still wouldn't use it. Just remove it..

 

[iMac The Knife]

"Reduce costs"...Tim Apple's credo.

 

[dominiongamma]

Their internal polling clearly shows that consumers love it

Show us your proof then, where it say that?

 

[tomtad]

Still wouldn't use it. Just remove it..

I don't get all the hate when it comes to this button. I use it all the time, it 's great to instantly launch the camera, to zoom, fix focus and take a photo. It's a great upgrade on the previous volume button solution.

One change I would make is to make the UI visible when it's held landscape rather than having to light press the control.

 

[Devnul0]

Needs a complete revamp. Whenever I would go to press it as a shutter button, it would move my settings all over the place while my finger was pushing down. I had to turn all that off and enable it to only be a shutter button. Also, to prevent the camera being on all the time, I had to make it a double-click to open the camera, and only when the phone is awake. It's not worth losing even more side-space on the phone. As it is, I can barely put the phone into a holder because there's so little of the sides that can be gripped.

 

[ghostface147]

Eh, I turned it off except to double click to open camera.

 

[Kylo83]

Just remove the most useless apple invention ever

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

It's a big touchscreen phone. Remove the sliding gestures now.

Rename the button "QuickShot". Quickly snap photos and start a video from within any app or the lock-screen. Add "QuickView" to half-press for near-fullscreen preview window through the camera—leave go to exit, press to snap. Bonus: in Settings > Camera > QuickShot change the button to a single press to take a photo—by default a single press would open the Camera app. With "One Press" enabled the button will snap a photo and open Camera. I'm your new CEO, good morning!

 

[one more]

With so many ways to get to the camera already (swiping left from the lock screen, configuring it with back taps or pressing on the lock screen shortcut) they could just remove it and call it a day, giving iPhone insides more space.

 

[TechRunner]

I was so excited to get it on my 16PM, but I never use it primarily because of its placement. I'm really not that invested in anything they do with it functionally until it is moved to a more comfortable position.

 

[AusMness]

As long as the functionality of it is unaffected do whatever you want to it, love it and use it daily on my 17 Pro

 

[neuropsychguy]

Please remove it and make the phone cheaper. Who uses this button?

I do almost every time I take photos. It's one of my favorite new features of iPhones.

It works well for me to launch the camera and take photos. It works well with my cheap case as well.

 

[Canyonero]

The big problem to me is that it’s recessed vs. the other buttons. I can never find it in a pinch and thus it’s not any faster than other methods of launching the camera app.

 

[attila]

I don't get all the hate when it comes to this button. I use it all the time, it 's great to instantly launch the camera, to zoom, fix focus and take a photo. It's a great upgrade on the previous volume button solution.

One change I would make is to make the UI visible when it's held landscape rather than having to light press the control.

One thing is that it hardly works when the phone is inside a case...

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Please remove it and make the phone cheaper. Who uses this button?

I tried using it. I was filing and figured if you slide your finger along it, it should smoothly zoom in and out. I mean, that's kind of how it feels like it should be used.

Imagine my surprise when it didn't do that. At best, a hard press will flip between 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. So now I'm not sure what the button is good for. So I don't use it.

This'll be like the Magic Keyboard, where they replaced perfectly good keys with an non-intuitive control, bemoaned that nobody used it, and then got rid of it. Instead of making it useful.

 

[sgtaylor5]

One thing is that it hardly works when the phone is inside a case...

There are cases that specifically target the Camera Button with their own flush sapphire button in the case.

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