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Apple’s new Camera Control feature on iPhone 16 models offers a simple, useful, and innovative way to access camera functions. A small, pressure-sensitive touch-capacitive area with haptic feedback lets you launch the camera, capture photos, and start videos with ease. The feature can be used in any app and enhances Apple’s Visual Intelligence features for on-demand visual search and more.
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Apple’s iPhone 16 models have introduced a new feature that could be the most innovative thing the company has done in recent years – the Camera Control button. This feature is simple, useful, and combines recent technological advancements.
Unlike the Action Button introduced last year, the Camera Control isn’t exactly a button. It’s a small touch-capacitive area with pressure-sensitive sensors and haptic motors beneath that produce haptic feedback to imitate the actual clickiness of a button. This technology is similar to what’s used in today’s MacBook’s Force Touch touchpads, and it’s covered with sapphire glass for durability.
With a quick press of the button, you can instantly launch the camera, and with a second press, capture a photo. A long press will start recording a video. The button also provides easier controls through swiping, depending on the camera setting or mode you’ve chosen. For instance, you can zoom in or out, adjust the strength of the faux bokeh in Portrait mode, adjust the exposure in pro mode, and more.
The button is also pressure-sensitive, allowing different actions to be assigned to it depending on how hard you press. A double-press can be used to select certain modes from the camera menu.
A two-step shutter release feature is also in the works, but it will be released later this year. This feature will allow you to lock focus and exposure and recompose your shot before taking the final photo with a stronger press down.
Third-party developers are already working on making use of the Camera Control button in their apps, and Apple is allowing the new button to be used in any app. Snapchat will be one of the first to use it, as demonstrated on stage last night.
The Camera Control button also makes Apple’s Visual Intelligence features easier to use. By clicking and holding the Camera control, you can start Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature, which can identify objects, landmarks, and more. You can even start a complex conversation with ChatGPT about your work or university notes just by pointing with your camera and clicking.
Apple’s Visual Intelligence system uses on-board computing and cloud resources to give you relevant search results from the web, and ensures that no images are stored on its servers. However, all those AI-related features won’t be available at launch, and will arrive with another software update, probably by the end of this year.
Still, the Camera Control button sounds like a promising new feature, and you can still make use of it, with or without AI.