Apple’s latest attempt to differentiate the iPhone 16 series a little bit is… a fake button it’s calling the Camera Control. But unlike last year’s new button, it’s not actually physically pressed, and uses a mix of sensors and haptic feedback to simulate the sensation of motion. And in my brief hands-on just after Apple’s iPhone 16 launch event, I have to say I actually thought it was a real button.
Editors’ note: After some investigation, it turns out that at least part of the Camera Control is a real, pressable button. You’ll feel real movement when you press down fully, but half the pressure is simulated by the iPhone 16’s haptic feedback. It does a remarkably good job of simulating a two-step button.
I took a quick look at the iPhone 16 Pro at Apple Park, and got a thorough overview of the new Camera Control and its associated interface. When I first picked up the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I thought it felt thinner and sleeker than my iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was nice. Then my fingers were drawn to the new “button,” which has a groove around it to help identify it by touch.
From the home screen, I pressed the camera control, and the Camera app quickly opened. The Apple rep guarding these phones encouraged me to press the camera control with varying amounts of pressure, as a lighter touch would change a dial that popped up on the screen next to the button.
I dragged my finger across this surface, and the digital knob moved along with me, though I found the direction of movement a little awkward at first. However, I’m one of those gamers who needs to change the direction of their controller when looking around and navigating any environment, so this could just be me.
There’s no way to change the direction of the camera control when you’re swiping, but you can tweak the settings to adjust pressure sensitivity. When the Apple rep asked me to press harder on the control, I was shocked because I felt a real button move under my fingers.
I reaffirmed with the Apple rep that it wasn’t a mechanical button that actually moved, and I got reassuring nods. Next to me, fellow reviewer Brian Tong echoed my sentiment that the camera control feels remarkably like a real button.
In addition to being surprised at the physical feel on the iPhone 16 Pro, I also noticed changes to the interface up close. When I first applied light pressure to the camera control, a selection of options came up, allowing me to choose exposure, zoom, camera, style, and tone.
Pressing harder on each of these locked those modes and brought up a separate dial with more markings, and swiping on the sensor would move the wheel. In Camera mode, I was able to quickly switch between ultrawide, main, and zoom options, just like the viewfinder currently works. If you prefer to use the existing interface to switch cameras, you can still do that.
When you choose the Styles option, you’ll swipe between the new Photographic Styles Apple introduced this year. In each of these, you can tap an icon at the top right of the app to edit them with the new touchpad-ish interface.
Dragging your finger around this square at the bottom will adjust the color temperature and color settings. You can also make changes to the Photographic Style in your photo after you’ve taken it, so you don’t have to worry too much about not liking the way something looks.
I also had a chance to hold the iPhone 16 Pro Max in Portrait mode and take a selfie. At first, my thumb was placed too high on the edge of the device, and pressing down did nothing. I shook the phone a bit in my hand, which felt a little unsure, then found the camera controls and quickly took a shot. I’m still not sure of the situation here, but it looks like I’ll figure it out in time.
Some of the improvements to the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera are new video editing features, but I haven’t been able to record 4K120 footage yet. I did get a chance to take a look at the updated video-editing interface, which has a tab on the side for audio mix, which lets you isolate the voices of people on camera or make the shot look like it was recorded inside a studio. It’s all very cinematic.
I don’t think people will ever be able to shoot an IMAX-friendly movie on an iPhone, but the idea that you can is certainly intriguing.
iPhone 16 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max Display
I found the iPhone 16 Pro to be a bit thinner than its previous model, one reason for which could be its display. It’s now bigger at 6.9 inches compared to the 6.7-inch screen of its predecessor.
However, Apple has managed to keep the size of the handset the same as before, reducing the bezels even further to do so. It’s not something you’ll notice without placing the two devices side by side and closely examining the borders, but it does make a small difference in making this year’s Pro Max feel fresher.