Last year Apple introduced a new Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro, a hardware button designed to make the iPhone’s camera feel more like a DSLR. It’s a clever addition, offering haptic feedback and quick access to things like zoom and exposure – but are people actually using it?
According to the rumor mill, maybe not. Reports suggest Apple has told suppliers to stop producing parts for the feature due to low adoption. That could signal that next year’s iPhone 18 range would ditch the button, although it’s extremely likely iPhone 17 will keep it for this year. Perhaps ten years of muscle memory to open the camera the old-fashioned way trumps a fancy new button with subtle features that take some getting used to.
It usually takes time for ideas like this to bed in, especially when they’ve only appeared on a single premium handset for less than a year. We’d be surprised to see Apple ditch it so soon, although the company does have a track record of pulling back on experiments when they don’t click – see the MacBook’s Touch Bar for a prime example.
Adding to the confusion, another rumor – from a less reputable source – claims Apple could go the other way and add a second Camera Control button to future iPhones so it works better in any orientation. That does sound far-fetched, but it highlights just how up in the air this feature’s future really is.
As ever with rumors, it’s wise to take this all with a pinch of salt. Camera Control could yet become a defining part of the iPhone experience – or it could vanish almost as quickly as it appeared.