The iPhone 16 models that Apple previewed today all feature a new Camera Control button that's located on the right side of the iPhone under the power button. The Camera Control button can be used for a number of different functions when capturing images and video.
Apple says that the Camera Control button is meant to work in either landscape or portrait mode, and it was built with a force sensor and touch sensor to support different gestures.
- Single click - Open up the Camera app (or a third-party app).
- Single click, Camera open - Take a photo.
- Click and hold - Open Camera app, start a video recording.
- Light press - Open up controls like zoom. This button will also lock focus and exposure (coming this fall) for reframing shots without losing focus.
- Double light press - Bring up the camera preview menu to choose different controls like exposure or depth of field.
- Swipe - Swap through available adjustment options, and also change parameters like zoom, exposure, or depth of field when a control is selected.
The button has deep software support, so you can also swap between control functions without having to go into the Camera app manually.
- Adjust zoom
- Adjust exposure
- Adjust depth of field
- Swipe through different stylistic options
Third-party developers will be able to take advantage of the Camera Control for their apps for adjusting settings, and it will work in social media apps like Snapchat.
Later this year, Camera Control will be able to work with a new visual intelligence feature. Users will be able to open the Camera app and point it at an object to get information about that object with a click and hold gesture. Pointing it at a restaurant, for example, will bring up hours and ratings, while pointing it at a plant will identify the plant. Using visual control with something that has a date, such as a flyer, will add the date to the Calendar app.
Camera Control will work as a gateway to third-party tools, such as when users want to search Google for an item to buy or use ChatGPT to solve a problem.
There are settings that will allow users to change the double press speed and the sensitivity of the button for a light press.
The Camera Control has a sapphire crystal covering with a smooth texture, surrounded by stainless steel trim. It is inset into the iPhone's frame just a bit, and the force sensor has haptic feedback to make it feel like a DSLR camera shutter.
