Photo: All iPhone 16s will have a multifunctional capacitive Action button (MacRumors) Author: Vladimir Kostyrin
Apple plans to include an Action button across the entire iPhone 16 line. It will be changed from mechanical to capacitive and will have even more functionality.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to the authoritative profile portal MacRumors.
The updated Action button is codenamed Atlas. It will function similarly to the Touch ID Home button on older iPhone models or the Force Touch trackpad on later MacBooks.
According to journalists, the design and plans for the Action button date back to at least 2021, as it was intended to be released alongside the tactile volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro.
It's worth noting that while Apple ditched tactile volume and power buttons due to unresolved technical issues, the Action button still made it into the final mass-production iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.
What does the button do?
On iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the Action button replaces the mute switch that was previously found on all iPhone models. Unlike the mute switch, which served only a single purpose, Action gives smartphone users a variety of options to use. It can be configured to perform a number of functions such as:
- silent mode;
- flashlight;
- camera;
- opening shortcuts to gain access to a number of functions;
- start or stop voice memo recording;
- enable/disable a specific focus mode;
- special abilities;
- magnifying glass (via Magnfier app);
- translation function (coming in iOS 17.2).
What features will be added?
According to internal documentation, the updated Action button on the iPhone 16 will feature a force sensor that detects changes in pressure, as well as a “beat switching feature.” The new Capture button planned for the 16 iPhone lineup will also include the same features as the Atlas – an improved Action button.
Atlas/”Action” in future models
The portal also writes that such a button will appear on the next iteration of the fourth-generation budget iPhone SE, which is scheduled for release in 2025. This will eliminate the dedicated mute switch in all future iPhones that are currently in development.
What other innovations are expected on the iPhone?
It was previously reported that Apple will introduce innovative technology into its upcoming iPhone 16. The new smartphone is expected to be equipped with a graphene cooling system that will solve problems related to overheating.
It also recently became known that the next generations of iPhone and Mac will have an “anti-spy” display.
We also add that the American company Apple has finally abandoned plans to return the Touch ID sensor in its iPhone smartphones.
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