In the least “Apple” move ever, Apple to keep adding buttons to iPhone 16 - but why?!

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In the least “Apple” move ever, Apple to keep adding buttons to iPhone 16 - but why?!
In the past 12-24 months, we’ve been hearing numerous rumors about the first “portless” and potentially “buttonless” iPhone. Many even tried imagining what this futuristic Apple flagship would look like, and how it’d work.

In fact, most recently, Apple canceled a version of the iPhone 15 Pro initially supposed to have haptic volume buttons, which react to pressure - like the Touch ID home “button” on the iPhone SE.

Now, not only aren’t the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max becoming “buttonless”, but compared to the iPhone 15, all of Apple’s 2024 flagships are set to arrive with not only one but two extra buttons!

So… who’s buttons is Apple trying to push?! … This transition doesn’t really work but let’s hope the iPhone 16’s new buttons will…

Samsung phones might have 5 cameras, but iPhone 16 is set to become the flagship phone with the most buttons - 5 in total



While I don’t know “who’s buttons Apple might be trying to push”, it’s important to note that Tim Cook & Co already made the decision to ditch the iconic Ring/Mute switch key (still present on the vanilla iPhone 15) and replace it with the “Action button” on the premium iPhone 15 Pro flagship.

And while the Action button is (clearly) expected to expand to the entire iPhone 16 lineup this year, it is also expected to be joined by another brand new button we’ve been hearing about for a while now - the “Capture” button.

Although the Action button is a multifunctional, remappable button that can be used as a camera shutter key, the Capture button is set to take over this function, enabling granular controls and functionality for taking photos and videos.

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The iPhone 16’s new buttons are met with mixed reactions online, but iPhone users should be happy when Apple gives (instead of taking)






“An iPhone with more buttons - doesn’t it look weird?”, some people ask on social media… To which I say… How dare you!

I’ve been asking for a dedicated camera shutter key on phones (not just iPhones) for ages, and so far only Sony has been consistent in giving me what I want.

To no one’s surprise, I don’t plan on buying a Sony phone for the dedicated camera key, so the iPhone 16’s take on the “pro-grade” camera feature would be the one I’ll be looking forward to.

As an iPhone 15 Pro Max user, I found myself having to choose between setting the Action button to open the camera and mute my iPhone, and that’s a compromise I’d rather not have to make. And if the solution is as simple as adding another button to the side of the iPhone… I’ll take it!



Prediction: Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi to follow in Apple’s footsteps and start adding more buttons to premium Android phones



In the end, while 12 months ago, some believed the iPhone was headed towards a “portless” and “buttonless” future, the iPhone 16 will have two additional buttons compared to the iPhone 15, AND a USB-C port to top it all off.

One thing is certain, whenever Apple gives iPhone users more/extra features rather than taking existing features away, this is an event to celebrate.

Whether it’s thanks to Jony Ive’s departure from Apple or not, Apple’s current design team is making some relatively unorthodox (for Cupertino) design choices, which (luckily) seem to favor functional design. It’s not every day you get two extra buttons with your new phone, which can perform a bunch of useful commands.

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