According to the foreign technology media The Information, Apple is introducing a dedicated camera button in the iPhone 16 series.
(Image Source: The Information)
The report highlights several key points worth noting: Firstly, the new camera button maintains a mechanical design, providing a tactile feel similar to other buttons on the iPhone when pressed. Secondly, despite being a mechanical button, it can respond to touch input, allowing users to zoom in or out by touching it. The report also notes that this camera button can respond to different levels of pressure, with light presses used for focusing and heavy presses serving as the shutter release.
When discussing physical buttons on phones, it’s impossible not to mention Sony. As a company with significant influence in the camera field, Sony’s phones have also continued the camera’s style in terms of photography. For instance, as early as its first-generation Xperia XZ1 phone, Sony provided an integrated camera shutter button for it. The Xperia 1 series even supports a professional photography mode and offers professional shooting modes similar to its cameras.
(Image Source: Sony)
In fact, the interface of the camera app on a mobile phone has always been based on the logic of operation on a camera, and while this interface has evolved over a decade, its basic operational logic has never changed. However, when it is transplanted to a mobile phone and relies solely on screen interaction without the support of physical buttons, the operation becomes very cumbersome. Therefore, in order to make the camera app on the iPhone more user-friendly, Apple has cut out many features, such as professional mode, etc., so the interface for operating the iPhone’s camera has always been considered lacking compared to that of a camera. It is believed that if you want to have the same operational experience on a mobile phone as you do with a camera, without the support of physical buttons, any change would be mere talk.
(Image Source: Apple Official Website)
However, since the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple seems to be intentionally pushing mobile photography into a more professional domain, such as adding many more professional features: external recording, Apple Log, and Aces, etc. The introduction of a dedicated camera button by Apple this time is also aimed at bringing the iPhone closer to the user experience of a camera in terms of operation logic. For some users, this may be their second “camera”; if the phone operates like a camera, they may be more willing to use it for professional shooting.
(Image Source: Apple Official Website)
Overall, Apple is focusing on enhancing the professionalism of the camera and the photography experience. The imaging configuration in today’s smartphones is increasingly advanced, and in some cases, it can even replace professional cameras. Having a dedicated camera button that matches this can indeed provide users with a more intuitive and efficient operational experience.