Apple iPhone 16: The action button may become pressure sensitive and bring new features

It appears that Apple is already preparing changes to the Action button, the feature that provides shortcuts to various features on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – such as opening the camera or switching to silent mode. With the imminent launch of the next generation in 2024, this tool is expected to become even more versatile and powerful.

According to information released on Thursday (30) by MacRumorsA new feature is that all models in the line – including the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will have an action button. One innovation will be its capacitive surface, capable of Detect the pressure applied by the usersimilar to the MacBook’s Force Touch technology.

Before the launch, the action button was expected to already have press detection capabilities on the iPhone 15 Pro, but this function had to be scrapped shortly before mass production of the phones due to unresolved technical issues. Therefore, the current line mechanical button provides the following functions:

• Activate silent mode
• Turn on the lamp
• open the camera
• Activate the shortcut
• Start audio recording
• Activate focus
• Accessibility
• magnifying glass
• Translation (available starting in iOS 17.2)

Through pressure sensitivity, the button is expected to be able to identify different user intentions. For example, a gentle touch can trigger a certain function, while a harder press can activate a different feature.

Supposedly internal documents accessed via MacRumors It indicates that a new action button is under development, codenamed “Atlas”. In addition to being a capacitive button, it is mentioned in the material that it will have a “data toggle function,” but there are no details about this feature.

According to sources, the manufacturer is testing different sizes for the new action button, and one of the options will include a button with dimensions similar to those of the volume buttons. There are rumors suggesting that in addition to the iPhone 16, the fourth generation iPhone SE will also be equipped with the new engine in 2025.

Those familiar with the matter believe that Apple is unlikely to change its plans regarding the new action button, and it is important to emphasize that all the information obtained refers to the pre-production phase of the iPhone 16, and therefore everything is vulnerable to hacking. Change until the cell phone is introduced in the middle of the second half of 2024.