Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 18 Said to Use Simpler Camera Control Button Design

They could fully integrate 3D Touch back into the full lineup

Add pressure sensitivity across all products and add one full dimensional layer of control back into the system

Just imagine a Touch Bar with haptic feedback and 3D Touch no matter what device you‘re using

One of the biggest missed opportunities not integrating that functionality much much sooner
 
thejadedmonkey said:
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.
Click to expand...

You can set it to smoothly zoom as you describe. Double soft press on it, and then swipe to the Zoom function, and press to select. This will then do what you describe and smoothly zoom up to x10 with haptic clicks when it switches lenses.

Personally I think the software implementation isn't the best. I would have introduced this feature with just Zoom as you describe, and always had it visible when the camera app was open. It's quite a different paradigm to get used to with a lot packed into it which I'm sure put off many users. Had it been sold as a way to easily zoom and lock focus before you take a photo, just like a real camera, it would have had more take up I feel.
 
tech_enthusiast_ said:
Eh, I'm a trained photographer and I like to obsess over the details, but that's MUCH easier to do on the giant touch screen. The Camera Control is more annoying than anything because it's so finicky, and pressing it rocks the phone enough to make some photos blurry.
Click to expand...

I disagree and politely would say you're holding it wrong if you're getting blurry photos. If anything my photos are more blurry if using the touch screen to tap while I'm holding the rest of the phone. With your thumb on the bottom and finger on the camera control if feels very secure and natural to take a photo.
 
tomtad said:
You can set it to smoothly zoom as you describe. Double soft press on it, and then swipe to the Zoom function, and press to select. This will then do what you describe and smoothly zoom up to x10 with haptic clicks when it switches lenses.

Personally I think the software implementation isn't the best. I would have introduced this feature with just Zoom as you describe, and always had it visible when the camera app was open. It's quite a different paradigm to get used to with a lot packed into it which I'm sure put off many users. Had it been sold as a way to easily zoom and lock focus before you take a photo, just like a real camera, it would have had more take up I feel.
Click to expand...
Oh wow I didn't even realize there were other options for what the button could do. That's incredibly poor UI design by Apple. Thanks for the tip!
 
The average user is just too stupid (and then arrogant) to take the time to figure out how to use it, a bit like 3D Touch on the iPhone 6S. It worked wonderfully, as does the camera control button. I use it literally all the time for exposure control and zooming, it's the fastest way to open the app as well, and avoids that annoying swipe gesture that accidentally opens the camera all the time. Personally I love it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ProbablyDylan
Butterfly keyboard, Touch Bar, camera button.

Camera button is Absolutely garbage unusable **** with non usual finger position …
 
one more said:
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.
Click to expand...
I only ever access the camera from control center by swiping down from the top.

Anything else just seems to trigger unintentionally.
The camera button was getting pressed every time I picked up the phone.
The slide to open from the lock screen often opens the camera while in my pocket or picking up the phone too quickly.
The button on the lock screen is just not very intuitive to me so I deleted that too.

I’m glad we have the options. I wish I could disable the slide to open option.
 
I’m a fan. Very useful on a recent trip for taking quick pictures on the go and zooming in and out without touching the screen. It takes a while to get used to it but once you get the gist of it you rarely come back. And I was very skeptic at the beginning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LightProtector
After figuring out how to use the camera control I've come to rely on it, especially for spontaneous captures. It's the most reliable/fastest way to open the camera app in any situation (I never open it any other way due to the other ways not always being immediately available), and when holding one-handed and recording landscape, as is often the case for me, it lets me switch lenses most easily (with my index finger).
 
rsnhakan said:
Please remove it and make the phone cheaper. Who uses this button?
Click to expand...
Perhaps you could ask Apple for a version without the button, and leave the rest of us to use it.

(Warning: large amounts of sarcasm ahead). A mate of mine has his phone on silent 99% of the time, so using your view, perhaps Apple could remove all speakers and make iPhone's cheaper?
 
Have to be honest I keep pressing it when picking up my phone and simply disabled it. It's an annoying button and please don't tell me I'm holding it wrong. It's also annoying that when you press and long hold it should open up the camera app or your desired function instead of visual Siri or whatever it's called. This is the iPhones Touch Bar moment.
 
Boeingfan said:
Perhaps you could ask Apple for a version without the button, and leave the rest of us to use it.

(Warning: large amounts of sarcasm ahead). A mate of mine has his phone on silent 99% of the time, so using your view, perhaps Apple could remove all speakers and make iPhone's cheaper?
Click to expand...
It would be a fairer comparison if he asked to remove the camera not the camera button. 😛
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boeingfan
Very possible as it will hep to reduce costs and increase profits for Apple, how much ever small savings it may produce. Also with the 20th anniversary edition in mind, the button must undergo major changes. Think overall the functionality will remain the same as it is today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mganu
Does anyone actually use it? everyone I know has it turned off bc they keep accidentally opening the camera. Its easier to swipe from the Lock Screen
 
ijordano said:
Does anyone actually use it? everyone I know has it turned off bc they keep accidentally opening the camera. Its easier to swipe from the Lock Screen
Click to expand...
Now that iOS 26.1 has a feature to turn off the swiping from the lock screen, I turned it on because it was always getting in my way. I set the camera button for a double press to activate. Works fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back