Apple's iPhone 16 case covers the new Capture Button, Spigen follows suit

Posted:
in iPhone

Accessory maker Spigen gave AppleInsider an early look at its new case for iPhone 16, highlighting the new Capture button with a special cover to support its touch functionality.

An iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy phone inside a Spigen case with a cover over the capture button
Spigen and Apple will both cover the capture button on their cases



On September 4, it was rumored that Apple's first party cases would have a covered Capture button. AppleInsider was able to independently confirm that claim, and now case manufacturer Spigen has proven to us that they are doing the same thing.

At least on Apple's silicone case, the button will still be metal with three vertical rows of tiny holes drilled throughout it. Then there appears to be some sort of conductive material underneath to help enable the touch functionality.

A mockup of Apple's new covered Capture Button on its silicone case as an oval with a bunch of holes in it
A mockup of Apple's new covered Capture Button on its silicone case based on what we've seen



We've heard that the button itself will be capacitive, which will help prevent it form being inadvertently triggered in your pocket. The feature enables trackpad-like functionality for zooming, cycling filters, and other tasks based on the photo app you're using.

A closeup of a case and dummy phone that opted for a cutout around the capture button
Some, like this case we covered, opted for a cutout around the capture button



That has seemingly left many case designers in a lurch. We've seen other vendors opting to leave the capture button open, rather than covering it and potentially impeding its functionality.

It's similar to the launch of the Action Button where many cases had cutouts. It wasn't until they sold through initial stock did second-gen versions launch with an appropriate cover.

A closeup on the Spigen case that has a black cover over what will be the capture button
Spigen found a way to cover the capture button and make it still work



One case manufacturer thinks they have it solved, though. Spigen sent us its Ultra Hybrid MagFit case that has a unique covering.

The case is otherwise clear with a harder plastic back and a softer grey bumper around the edge. MagSafe is supported with a ring of magnets in the center.

An iPhone 16 Pro Max dummy unit in the Spigen case attached to a MagSafe charger
Of course, the case supports MagSafe too



For the presumed Capture button, there is a small piece of what appears to be black-tinted metal that blends into the darkened sides.

An interior shot of the case showing a white material inside of the capture button
There appears to be some conductive material on the inside of the capture button to make it work



It's free floating, suspended by some sort of rubber gasket. The inside of the button has a white material, likely a conductor similar to what Apple is doing.

To work, it must make contact with the whole button -- and it looks like it will. Based on what we've learned, the button is slightly recessed, so when a phone is inserted, it will push out against the button ensuring good contact.

A closeup of the Spigen case with a black button covering the presumed capture button
Other case makers will likely follow Spigen and Apple's lead



Of course, there's no way to test the efficacy of the Capture button and cases until Apple makes things official during the It's Glowtime event on September 9th.

Be sure you're tuned into AppleInsider to stay up to date with all of the latest news.



Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    ralphiewatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 19
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,758member
    Funny how the hottest news is about the cases.
    dewmepulseimageskamyk35watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 19
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  
    Forced to use FaceID? You’re not even forced to use an iPhone 
    MplsPdewmeM68000lukeipulseimagesslow n easykamyk35appleinsideruserwatto_cobrabeowulfschmidt
  • Reply 4 of 19
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    Utter crap. FaceID can be set up with or without a mask, or both. Clearly you are not a proper iPhone user. 
    pulseimageskamyk35forgot usernamewatto_cobraspock1234
  • Reply 5 of 19
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    Oh man, wouldn’t that be nice!  FaceID sucks no matter how much people say otherwise.

    Afarstar said:
    Utter crap. FaceID can be set up with or without a mask, or both. Clearly you are not a proper iPhone user. 
    And clearly you’re just a fanboy incapable of critical thinking or reasoning. What’s a “proper” iPhone user… someone that just accepts and buys whatever Apple throws at them?!?
    edited September 5
  • Reply 6 of 19
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 4,018member
    ralphie said:
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    Oh man, wouldn’t that be nice!  FaceID sucks no matter how much people say otherwise.
    Sucks? How? I look at my phone and it unlocks instantly. Every time. 
    pulseimagesslow n easykamyk35forgot usernamewatto_cobracharlesnspock1234
  • Reply 7 of 19
    MplsP said:
    ralphie said:
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    Oh man, wouldn’t that be nice!  FaceID sucks no matter how much people say otherwise.
    Sucks? How? I look at my phone and it unlocks instantly. Every time. 
    Lucky for you. You must have a very static face/environment.  Direct sun vs not; glasses vs no glasses vs sun glasses; cap vs no cap; mask vs no mask.  It just does not work reliably in all situations.  TouchID just worked, period.  Choice is nice, but Apple
    is all about removing choice, as are you it seems.
    edited September 5 takeoM68000gatorguy
  • Reply 8 of 19
    takeotakeo Posts: 447member
    FaceID is the worst. I get so many failures every day. I absolutely despise it, Touch works perfectly 99.99% of the time for me. I’d say FaceID is only maybe 90% reliable… at best.
    edited September 5 M68000
  • Reply 9 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,724member
    Not loving the idea of more buttons. The available button free edge area on the iPhone is constantly shrinking. 

    This fascination with adding more buttons to the iPhone’s edge is heading in the same direction as the constantly shrinking title bar area on macOS windows. Trying to find a spot on a window title bar to drag it keeps getting harder now that they keep slapping more controls in the same real estate.

    Enough already with all the buttons. There are already too many buttons. Whatever happened to keeping things as simple as possible?

    Apple actually needs to come up with more control mechanisms that eliminate buttons, like FaceID does. I’ve encountered zero issues with FaceID even with multiple different facial hair, pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses, headgear, gloves, wet fingers, lighting conditions, whether you’re right or left handed, etc. Unlike TouchID, the orientation of the device doesn’t matter with FaceID. 

    FaceID is Apple’s best and most reliable on-device authentication mechanism they’ve come up with so far, by a mile/kilometer. When using TouchID I’ve always had to periodically re-register my fingerprints. I’ve only registered FaceID once, when I activated it the first time. 

    I find that having the TouchID on the power/home button is far less user friendly than having it on a front facing button, especially when the device is in a keyboard dock of any kind, probably because I’m right handed. Yeah, I know you can register multiple fingers but it never comes close to the convenience and reliability of FaceID. 

    And yes, you can setup FaceID to work with masks. 
    kamyk35forgot usernameappleinsideruserwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 19
    ralphie said:
    MplsP said:
    ralphie said:
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  which was total shit during the pandemic when we were forced to wear masks.
    Oh man, wouldn’t that be nice!  FaceID sucks no matter how much people say otherwise.
    Sucks? How? I look at my phone and it unlocks instantly. Every time. 
    Lucky for you. You must have a very static face/environment.  Direct sun vs not; glasses vs no glasses vs sun glasses; cap vs no cap; mask vs no mask.  It just does not work reliably in all situations.  TouchID just worked, period.  Choice is nice, but Apple
    is all about removing choice, as are you it seems.
    Touch ID doesn’t work if your hands are wet and it’s slow compared to Face ID. My Face ID works in all those situations you just listed. 
    slow n easykamyk35dewmeforgot usernamewatto_cobraITGUYINSDspock1234
  • Reply 11 of 19
    Wow we are getting more buttons on a phone then we have ports on the MacBook Air!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 19
    igorsky said:
    jedijeff said:
    This new button seems like a great place to bring TouchID back instead of forcing us to use FaceID,  
    Forced to use FaceID? You’re not even forced to use an iPhone 
    Oh wow, that is truest 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 19
    TouchID is not as secure as FaceID. But it would be nice to have available, so long as users understand that. 

    FaceID utilizes non-contact hardware, which is also used for other camera functions. In contrast, TouchID employs single-purpose physical contact hardware. Consequently, FaceID is likely to be more cost-effective, reliable, and easier to maintain in the long run.
    watto_cobraspock1234
  • Reply 14 of 19
    dewme said:
    Not loving the idea of more buttons. The available button free edge area on the iPhone is constantly shrinking. 

    This fascination with adding more buttons to the iPhone’s edge is heading in the same direction as the constantly shrinking title bar area on macOS windows. Trying to find a spot on a window title bar to drag it keeps getting harder now that they keep slapping more controls in the same real estate.

    Enough already with all the buttons. There are already too many buttons. Whatever happened to keeping things as simple as possible?
    Hallelujah! Yes. Less is more. Or it is to some of this thread’s inhabitants.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 19
    Sounds like Apple is making it more difficult to buy a 3rd party case as it has to have a special design for that damn button?  Wonderful. 
  • Reply 16 of 19
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Sounds like Apple is making it more difficult to buy a 3rd party case as it has to have a special design for that damn button?  Wonderful. 
    Or you could, you know, buy this third-party case you’re commenting about? It’s currently $26 on Amazon, so it’s definitely cheaper than Apple’s cases too.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,148member
    takeo said:
    FaceID is the worst. I get so many failures every day. I absolutely despise it, Touch works perfectly 99.99% of the time for me. I’d say FaceID is only maybe 90% reliable… at best.
    Exciting news: there is a whole world of Android Touch ID that awaits you! What kind of masochist do you have to be to continue buying and using a device that you "absolutely despise" because of "so many failures every day." Last I heard, use of an iPhone wasn't mandated at gunpoint. Suggest you exercise your free will instead of complaining and choose an Android phone. FaceID is here to stay. 
    spock1234
  • Reply 18 of 19
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,148member
    dewme said:

    Enough already with all the buttons. There are already too many buttons. Whatever happened to keeping things as simple as possible?
    ALL the buttons?? WHAT could you possibly be talking about? Before FaceID, every iPhone since the original had 5 buttons: Volume up and down (which I count as 2 buttons), Silence Slider, Sleep/Wake/Power and the Home Button. That got cut to four buttons when FaceID eliminated the Home/TouchID button. The Silence Slider was then replaced by the Action Button in iPhone 15. It can still act as just a Silence Button if you want or you can set it for other tasks OR... if it really annoys you so much, you can set it to do nothing and then it's just more edge space on your phone. I'm guessing the Capture Button will have a similar "Do nothing" setting, giving you more empty edge space. So for button-hating iPhone users like yourself, you can pare down the iPhone 16 buttons to a record-setting low of just three. Meanwhile, those who find the Action and Capture buttons useful can use them. So what's your problem?
    edited September 14 spock1234
  • Reply 19 of 19
    Here is the link to the case, because if you just search for the name of the case cited in the article it just leads to Spigen's case of that name that just has a hole over the camera control button.

    https://www.spigen.com/collections/iphone-16-series-case-collection/products/iphone-16-series-case-ultra-hybrid-t-magfit?variant=43185424564271
    edited September 26 spock1234
Sign In or Register to comment.