Snapping pictures on the fly is part and parcel of the iPhone experience, and Apple’s new iPhone 16 Camera Control is already set to be a game changer for hobbyists and professionals alike. Bridging the gap between smartphone tech and DSLR features, the brand-new iPhone 16 exclusive button isn’t just a novelty switch, but it’s also backed by the arrival of visual intelligence too.
During the iPhone 16 segment of the recent Apple Event showcase, it expands on how the new model won’t just be a great addition to the best 5G phones out there, but a fierce competitor when it comes to recording high-quality video or taking still images. Designed to be flush against the smartphone’s surface, and covered by sapphire crystal, it is activated by simply clicking it once. And yes, you guessed it, clicking it again snaps a photo.
However, it’ll be a more engaging experience, or at least it seems that way as Apple confirms it’ll feature haptics to replicate the tactile nature of using a “mechanical camera.”A light press on the Camera Control will clean up your image preview with autofocus, while sliding your fingertip alongside it allows you to alter your depth-of-field with aperture-style settings you’ll have seen before when editing portrait mode photos, for example.
The Camera Control will be working the combined might of the 48MP main camera and a 12MP 2X zoom camera, along with 2.6x more light intake. Both lenses work in tandem as a “fusion camera” to offer users macro lens features, or newer options like spatial photos, which was previously introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro.
With the aid of Apple Intelligence, the new iPhone model is capable of offering suggestions through a feature that Apple is dubbing “visual intelligence.” One example Apple uses is that of a photographer surveying a location, using the Camera Control to open up the camera, while visual intelligence provides feedback on the location’s aesthetic.
The photos app is also getting a refresh, and Apple Intelligence can step in to provide AI touch-ups, should you require them. For those of you recording videos frequently, the Camera Control’s ease of access will quickly get you going as the iPhone 16 camera is capable of 4K 60 FPS captures.
Elsewhere, the Apple Event also revealed the Apple Watch Series 10, and we’ve got all the details you need to know ahead of the Apple Watch Series 10 launch later this month.