I’ll upgrade to the iPhone 16 later this year, but I’m still unsure which model to buy. I’m considering the Plus and Pro Max sizes for the first time. It’s also my first time considering getting the base iPhone 16 or the Plus variant.
I’m upgrading to get access to Apple Intelligence when it eventually launches in the EU. But I have plenty of other reasons to want a new iPhone 16 this year and ditch my iPhone 14 Pro.
The key factor that will impact my buying decision isn’t the A18 processor, the screen size, or the number of cameras, but it’ssomething related to the latter. It’s the Capture button that will help me take photos faster than ever.
I covered the Capture button rumors extensively this year. Almost all of them say all four iPhone 16 phones will get the new button. But there’s also a new report that mentions the button in connection with the iPhone 16 Pros.
According to 9to5Mac, analyst Jeff Pu penned a report that lists the main iPhone 16 upgrades, and some design and specs details for the iPhone 17.
Pu says that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will get a new button for camera controls. This implies the base iPhone 16 model and the 16 Plus won’t get it, seemingly contradicting everything we have heard so far. I’ll also remind you that we saw iPhone 16 dummy units that featured what looks like a Capture button on the same side as the standby/power button.
As MacRumors reported recently, the Capture button will be one of the most advanced iPhone buttons introduced to date. It’ll support multiple gestures and pressure sensing.
The Capture button supposedly lets you half-press to autofocus. A harder press will let you take photos. Touch gestures will let you zoom in and out and even switch to video mode. All of that sounds exciting to me. I want to take photos and videos without worrying about the display. And forget about the Volume keys acting like camera shutters.
I’m also interested in starting the Camera app with a touch/press of the Capture button. This would let me take photos even faster than the current experience. And I happen to snap pics of everything of interest around me.
It’s not just about beautiful sunsets during my runs or using the iPhone for work. I take photos of things I might want to buy in the near or distant future, food, menus, timetables, you name it.
That’s why I think the Capture button will be a big upgrade. I’ll buy an iPhone 16 version that has the camera button. I certainly hope all four models will get it. But I’ll choose the Pro or Pro Max if these are the only options.
I do think that Pu is wrong, however. More indirect evidence suggests that Apple wants the Capture button on iPhones going forward.
MacRumors speculates that Apple wants to encourage users to take photos and videos in landscape mode with the Capture button. This would generate more spatial content that would look stunning on the Vision Pro. By the way, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will feature cameras placed vertically for the same reason: spatial photography.
Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait until we learn everything about the Capture button. In the coming weeks, Apple should send press invites for the mid-September iPhone 16 launch event.
