Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 16 series of phones, and a new design feature has garnered a lot of attention. Expect Android phone makers to follow suit very soon.
On the right side of all four models (iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max), just below the power button, you’ll find what’s called a “Camera Control” button. As you might expect, this can be used as a physical shutter button, but the action button on the other side might already be used for that purpose.
Rather, it’s the built-in touch and force sensors that set this new haptic button apart. A light press opens the zoom controls, while a double-tap gives you access to options like exposure, depth of field, and different picture styles. Swiping in either direction lets you adjust these to your liking, while it’s also possible to adjust the level of pressure sensitivity.
Impressively, these settings can be controlled simply by using the button, avoiding the need to manually access Apple’s Camera app.
Apple
Apple
Apple
But it’s the prospect of third-party support that’s particularly exciting. We already know Snapchat is on board, and it’ll be interesting to see how many other developers join the platform, especially with the potential to use it for more than just taking photos and videos.
The camera control button isn’t being left out of the AI conversation either. It’ll work alongside Apple’s new Intelligence feature that lets you get information about an object just by pointing your camera at it, like key information about an event or an unusual type of animal.
If it works as well as expected, it could be a game-changing feature for iPhone users. And what usually happens with cool new iPhone features? They get copied on many Android phones. I don’t see how the camera control button could be any different.
Apple
Apple
Apple
In fact, given how much focus many Android phone makers have put on cameras, this would make a lot of sense. A dedicated physical shutter button is nothing new — we’ve seen them on Sony’s Xperia phones (most recently the Xperia 1 VI) for years — but it’s nowhere near as versatile as Apple’s version on paper.
The closest you’ll get right now is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra which, combined with its Photography Kit accessory, offers a two-stage shutter button, a zoom lever, and a video record button.
But for more casual users looking for a little more flexibility when it comes to capturing photos and videos, the camera control button can’t be beat.
As a result, I don’t think we’ll have to wait long for the first Android clone. It will probably have a slightly different name, but it will be functionally very similar.
Prolific leaker Evan Blass agrees, saying that it “looks like it’s going to be integrated by a bunch of Android OEMs in the not-too-distant future.”
So who will be the first to copy Apple? It’s impossible to say. But if you’re considering switching from Android to iPhone just for the camera control button, it’s definitely worth waiting for now.
