iPhone 16 series: Camera button returns to Android following Apple debut

A dedicated camera shutter button has been a feature on smartphones for some time, but Apple's recent announcement has brought it back into the spotlight

Apple has introduced a new button dedicated to camera controls with the iPhone 16 series launch. While camera shutter buttons have been available on smartphones for some time, Apple’s announcement has brought it back into the spotlight. This development might prompt other companies to adopt similar features.

The president of Nubia, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced on Weibo, a microblogging site, that the Nubia Z70 Ultra smartphone will feature a "more realistic" camera button. He also confirmed in a reply to a follower that the shutter button will support a half-press for focus and a full press for capturing images. This was first reported by Android Authority.

According to an Android Authority report, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is also planning to equip its upcoming premium flagship smartphone series with a similar button. Leaks suggest that the OPPO Find X8 series will incorporate a "Quick Button" for photo capture. It remains unclear whether this button will support swipe gestures for zooming, as seen in the iPhone 16’s button, or if it will function solely as a physical shutter button. The Pro variant of the OPPO Find X8 series is anticipated to feature a 10x telephoto camera, potentially making it the second smartphone to offer this capability after the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Smartphone makers such as Nokia, HTC, and Sony Ericsson have previously included shutter buttons on Symbian, Windows Phone, and Android devices. Sony has offered a two-stage camera shutter button on earlier models, and the recently launched Xperia 1 VI also features this function.

iPhone 16 Camera Control: What is it?

The Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 series is integrated into the device's frame and features a "high-precision" force sensor that provides haptic feedback akin to a DSLR camera shutter. This button also includes a capacitive touch sensor that detects actions such as clicks and slides. It offers quick access to various camera functions: a single click opens the Camera app, another click takes a photo, and in video mode, a click starts or stops recording. This button is available on all four iPhone 16 models.