One of the new features rumored to be coming to the iPhone 16 is a “Capture Button”. Not much was known about what this button could do, aside from an alleged solid state design, but now Bloomberg sleuth Mark Gurman might have just revealed the button’s true purpose.
According to the latest edition of Gurman’s Power on Newsletter, he claims that all iPhone 16 models will come with a “new dedicated button for taking video”. Gurman also reiterated rumors that the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus should be in line to get an Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro series earlier this year.
It’s long been suspected that the Capture Button would have something to do with the iPhone 16’s camera. Mainly because the term “capture” doesn’t really work for any other phone feature. Maybe voice recordings, but that seems a little too niche to warrant Apple crafting a dedicated button to activate it. Using it for video recording makes way more sense.
Previously we had speculated that the Capture Button could trigger the camera shutter or act as a quick shortcut to the camera app. Considering how many steps are needed to manually open and activate the camera, it feels like some kind of shortcut or gesture is needed — especially in a situation where time is of the essence.
Out in the world you never know what’s going to happen, and there are situations where getting video evidence could be vital. So the ability to launch a recording at the tap of a button could prove invaluable. You never know what you might record in the few extra seconds you manage capture on film. Be it something as serious as evidence of a road accident or crime, or a memory you want to preserve like a child’s first steps.
Plus Apple’s currently making a big push into spatial video, which is recordable on iPhone 15 Pro and playable on the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. A dedicated video recording button is the perfect addition to that whole system — and gives Apple an opportunity to hype up multiple products at once.
Still, we’d like to see Apple take the same approach as the Action button, and allow users some level of choice. So that the button can help them better use their camera the way they like, rather than however Apple dictates.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Capture Button and the iPhone 16 series, but seeing as how they’re not expected to arrive until September means there’s still plenty of time for details to leak. So be sure to check out our iPhone 16 hub for all the latest news and rumors.
