I know, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is not necessarily the iPhone design overhaul of your dreams, but don’t discount that new Camera Control button. It’s a small aesthetic change that adds significant function, and it has forever altered how I take pictures with Apple’s flagship smartphone.
The Camera Control elevates the camera experience on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. In this guide, I’ll tell you all about it.
iPhone is the world’s most popular camera. It has profoundly impacted the world by making it effortless for everyone to capture amazing photos and videos. The Camera Control on iPhone 16 is designed for an amazing camera experience that brings you new ways to capture your photos quickly and easily.
The Camera Control is easy to use in landscape or portrait. It’s especially impactful with Apple’s largest flagship, the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s flush to the surface, covered by a sapphire crystal with a smooth texture and surrounded by a color-matched stainless steel trim.
The Camera Control elegantly blends hardware and software. When you click, it launches the camera. And once in the camera, you don’t need to adjust your grip to take a photo. Just click again so you don’t miss the moment. With a click and hold, you can do a quick video recording.
It’s more than just ease of use, though. The Camera Control has a transformative impact on my speed. No more hunting for the camera app or even swiping on the lock screen where quick access to the iPhone’s camera app lives.
When I see a shot, I’m just a one click away from opening the camera and, once it’s open, I can snap away with my new Camera Control shutter button.
I also find the new Camera Control more useful for taking selfies with my iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera, the 48MP main lens. Using this camera for selfies has always been a stretch (literally, it’s harder to hold the phone out away from your face when you’re also trying to not accidentally touch the screen). With the Camera Control, I don’t worry about making sure the camera is still open before taking a main camera selfie. I just click the Camera Control to open Camera, look into the lens, and click again.
The Camera Control on iPhone 16 is packed with innovation. A tactile switch enables the click experience. A high-precision force sensor interacts with the Taptic engine, ensuring responsive haptic feedback, like in a mechanical camera shutter. Additionally, a small multipixel capacitive sensor and signal processor under the sapphire crystal recognize touch gestures. Thanks to this innovative design, the Camera Control can distinguish between a full click and a lighter press. While you click to take a photo, a lighter press reveals an all-new, clean preview that dissolves other UI elements, helping you focus on framing the shot. A light press also brings up a new overlay that allows quick access to useful camera functions.
By sliding your finger on the Camera Control, you can adjust controls, like zoom. When you press lightly twice, you can see other controls. Then simply slide to the control you want and press lightly again to select it, like the depth of field to compose a stunning portrait.
By the way, I can also program the Camera Control to open the front-facing selfie camera, take only Portrait Mode Selfies, default to Portrait Mode from the Main camera, or open to shoot videos.
The Camera Control is your gateway to third-party tools, making it super fast and easy to tap into their specific domain expertise. So if you come across a bike that looks exactly like the kind you’re in the market for, just tap to search Google for where you can buy something similar. And if you’re studying notes from your college lecture and get stuck on a particular concept, just use the Camera Control to ask chat GPT for guidance. Nice.
Of course, you’re always in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.
Apps like Snapchat are also leveraging the Camera Control to create new experiences, like quickly sharing the moment with your friends or groups.
And that’s the new Camera Control on iPhone 16 Pro Max, making it even easier to capture memories and access visual intelligence. It’s forever changed how I use an iPhone.