iPhone 16 rumored to gain new capacitive 'Capture Button,' updated Action button
A new rumor suggests an additional "Capture Button" could be included on iPhone 16 models under the sleep/wake button but be capacitive.
Action button
Apple allegedly planned to use capacitive buttons on iPhone 15, but the feature was abandoned sometime in development. A new rumor suggests capacitive buttons could still happen, but the implementation differs from what was previously rumored.
According to an anonymous source speaking to MacRumors, a new capacitive "Capture Button" would be added to the iPhone 16 below the sleep/wake button. It isn't clear what function this button would serve, but its name suggests a dedicated camera shutter.
In addition to the "Capture Button," the Action button would be updated to be capacitive. The sleep/wake button and volume buttons would remain mechanical buttons.
The mmWave cutout below the sleep/wake button would move below the volume buttons on the opposite side. Devices with a physical SIM slot will also have this new arrangement.
The new capacitive buttons could have pressure sensors that respond to the amount of force being used to press the button. Such a sensor could reduce accidental button presses.
The source says the "Capture Button" is called "Project Nova" internally, while the capacitive transformation of the Action button is called "Project Atlas." The previous "Project Bongo" referred to using capacitive buttons for the remaining buttons.
If this rumor is accurate, it would mean iPhone 16 will have the highest number of elements on the outer frame ever. For iPhones sold outside of the United States, one side would have a capacitive Action button, volume buttons, a SIM tray, and the mmWave cutout.
This design is possible if busy for a company like Apple. The source is unknown, so the history is difficult to determine for rating this rumor -- therefore AppleInsider rates this rumor as possible.
Rumors for the iPhone 16 lineup include larger display sizes, Tetraprism 5x zoom cameras for both pro models, and a new camera arrangement for non-pro iPhones. The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be revealed in September 2024.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
Now I know full well you news people need to make money by releasing new stories. And Apple rumors unfortunately has become a major part of that because it feeds selfish human nature to want, want, want. But here's the crux. Many people get disappointed with Apple product releases only because they read the tech media stories, learn pretty much everything about a new device BEFORE it is released, and then on the day of the announcement they come away not surprised at all and somewhat disappointed. Had the stories and rumors not existed, people could finally be pleasantly surprised and overjoyed at the update announcements once again. That's right, there once was a time when we actually were surprised by Apple and those really were the Good Old Days!
All the leakers and analysts who feed the rumor sites non-stop need to crawl back into their holes and stay there.
If I could wave my magic want and make all the iPhone 16 talk vanish worldwide for the next 6 months at least, I'd do it. We need to focus on what we have, which is great, by the way. There will always be something newer and better, but let's just slow down and enjoy what's before our very eyes.
Lastly...
Tim Cook, people shouldn't have to wait more than 1 month for a phone that costs well over $1,000. Not everyone can or wants to buy from a wireless carrier, which were allowed to buy up most of the iPhones and who made everyone else wait as a result! Fix that!
It's like you guys are asking a news channel to hold off on hurricane coverage because we just had one last week. (not equating iPhone rumors to hurricanes lol)
WIRELESS CARRIERS, not just a bunch of individual consumers, are buying up the phones in enormous batches, making it harder for individuals to buy them. I ordered my iPhone 15 Pro Max shortly after the announcement here in Japan via Apple Japan and it won't ship until the very end of October or first part of November. My daughter bought that exact sample model iPhone through T-mobile in California and she got it in less than a week. This isn't the only story that proves what I am saying is true. So no, it's not merely a case of "high demand" and "factories working 24x7." Factories are working 24x7 to fill those carrier orders before consumer orders. Carriers are given the priority by Apple. And who runs Apple? Mr. Cook. So I have zero regrets about what I wrote in my previous post and stand firmly behind it. And that is true even though "I can wait." Indeed, I am waiting, and fairly patiently too. (You cannot read my facial expressing when I type text, friend. And the tone of my words isn't always telling either.)
And I'll top it off with this. I absolutely LOVE Tim Cook. When people say he's trash compared to Steve Jobs, I profoundly disagree with those uninformed people. It's clear none of them have AAPL stock. Every single person on this planet who owns AAPL should thank Tim Cook. And I do. But that doesn't mean I cannot call out the gentleman on letting carriers manipulate the market post-announcement. Apple can and does regulate the distribution.
PS: I can't wait for the physical SIM tray to removed from every device. Such a waste of space.
1) I fail to understand why $1000 (USD presumably) is some sort of demarcation point for having to wait for a product. Not that it's comparable to a mass produced smartphone, but anecdotally the more expensive the item the longer I've had to wait for it.
2) LOL Based on Cook's long history with Apple every fiber in his being is trying to sell as many devices as the market will bear. That means making sure sourcing, production, distribution, and everything else in-between are as efficient as possible. I recall many years ago Jean-Louis Gassée talking about Apple many parallel assembly lines in one of his MondayNotes articles. I can't find that, but I did find the article below which says there are 94 parallels lines producing 350 devices per minute or about a half million per day. This was 2016.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/technology/iphone-china-apple-stores.html