The new Camera Control button is one of the signature features of the iPhone 16 series. The button gives you fast access to the camera and camera settings. In the future, it’ll also let you give eyes to the iPhone’s built-in AI via the new Visual Intelligence feature.
The iPhone 16 is actually the second iPhone generation in a row to feature a new button. The iPhone 15 series delivered the Action button last year, though Apple restricted it to the Pro models. A year later, all four iPhone 16 models feature the two new buttons.
Apple won’t stop there, it seems. If a new rumor is accurate, Apple plans to replace the Action button and Volume keys with a single button on the iPhone 17 Pro. The change sounds crazy at first, but if you’ve been following iPhone rumors closely, it starts making sense.
The claim comes from an X leaker known as Majin Bu. He’s not always accurate with his Apple information, so you’ll have to keep that in mind. But I’ll also say his last-minute Apple Watch Series 10 leaks turned out to be correct. With days to go to the Glowtime event, the leaker claimed the new Apple Watch models would feature 42mm and 46mm displays instead of the previously rumored 45mm and 49mm sizes.
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If you’re a longtime iPhone user, you probably know Apple is already working on the iPhone 17 series. Rumors suggest an iPhone 17 Air will replace the iPhone Plus. This will be an ultra-slim iPhone compared to the rest of the iPhone 17 series.
Whether Bu’s claim is correct or not, Apple must certainly be trying all sorts of ideas for the new iPhone series. That might include new button designs and functionalities. A few days ago, we learned that Apple planned various changes for the iPhone buttons that didn’t pan out during the prototyping stages.
Apple reportedly wanted a larger Action button that would mimic the Camera Control button (Project Atlas) and a unified Volume button (Project Bongo). While Apple had to kill those plans, they could always resurface with an idea similar to Bu’s.
Apple could unify the Volume Up and Volume Down keys and merge them with the Action button. The Camera Control button explains how the contraption would operate. The unnamed button would be a physical button like the Camera Control. However, it could also feature a sapphire crystal at the top to detect touch and a force sensor to discern between different taps.
Depending on how you press (or swipe on) the button, you might mute the phone, adjust the volume, or trigger a different action. Given the functionality of the Camera Control button, this would all make sense.
There’s also a practical side to this, assuming Apple would implement the button in all four iPhone 17 models. A significantly thinner iPhone 17 Air model will need to be as durable as the current models, especially when it comes to accidental bending. The fewer button cutouts in the thin metal frame, the stronger it’ll be.
The downside is obvious. People used to the current iPhone button setup might initially find the change difficult. But, like any change Apple introduces, one should get used to it. I say that as a longtime iPhone user who wants to take advantage of the new Camera Control button. However, the position of the Camera Control makes the button annoying to use with the left hand. Cases might complicate things.
What if Apple’s Action-Volume button on the iPhone 17 is as big as the Camera Control and perfectly identical? That way, a user could choose where to place the Camera Control and the Action-Volume keys. As someone holding the handset in my left hand, I’d love the Camera Control to sit where the volume controls are.
Speculation aside, if this iPhone 17 Pro design detail is accurate, we’ll see it in all sorts of leaks in the coming months.
