iPhone 16 Rumors: New Capture Button, 48MP Ultrawide Camera

Sure, we have close to a year before Apple unveils its iPhone 16 lineup, but it’s not too early for rumors, right? Right? Over the weekend, we saw two reports sharing what we might see from the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineups.

In this week’s Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman provided more information about the much-rumored iPhone 16 “capture” button.

We’ve already seen rumors about this new button, but it wasn’t until this weekend’s report that we received reliable information on where the button will be located on the handset, or what functionality it might have.

Gurman doesn’t use the term “Capture button,” but refers to it simply as a “new dedicated button for taking video.” That sounds about right, considering that earlier sources suggest that the button, which is officially code-named “Project Nova” is referred to by Apple engineers as the “Capture button.” The new button is expected to be included on all four iPhone 16 models, from the base model up to the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Last week, MacRumors shared some purported early prototypes of the iPhone 16 that show the button located on the lower-right-hand side of the device. It will replace the mmWave antenna on iPhones sold in the United States, which will be relocated to the left side of the handset below the volume and Action buttons. Current iPhone models sold outside of the US do not have an mmWave antenna, and while MacRumors adds that this won’t need to be relocated on non-US models, it’s unclear whether this is speculation, as it’s possible Apple may add mmWave support in at least international iPhone 16 models.

The Capture Button will be capacitive and will likely have a force sensor that can recognize pressure. It has been proposed that holding down the button will launch directly into the Camera app and recording will automatically start. The button could also respond to various levels of pressure, and could also open up the Camera app to allow quickly taking a photo or a video, but nothing has been officially announced at this point.

A 48MP Ultrawide Camera

In other iPhone 16-related news, a Weibo leaker with a mixed track record that goes by the moniker of Instant Digital claims the iPhone 16 Pro could boast an upgraded ultrawide camera with a 48-megapixel sensor.

If the prediction comes to pass, the telephoto camera lens will be the only rear-facing lens with a 12-megapixel resolution. The ultrawide camera’s 48-megapixel sensor will allow the camera to capture more light, which will result in improved photos when shooting in 0.5x mode. It should especially be helpful in low-light environments.

Last year, the iPhone 14 Pro lineup introduced a 48-megapixel main camera that makes use of “pixel binning,” which merges data from four pixels on the sensor into one “superpixel,” resulting in improved low-light capture. This 48MP sensor technology came to the entire iPhone 15 lineup, and now the iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to see it expand to the ultrawide lens.

If the lens prediction comes to pass, iPhone 16 Pro models should be capable of shooting 48-megapixel ProRAW photos in Ultra Wide mode, allowing photos to retain more detail in the raw image files, allowing for more editing flexibility and improved printing at large sizes.

Instant Digital’s claim jibes with a similar prediction from Jeff Pu, an analyst with Haitong International Securities, who said the iPhone 16 Pro will be equipped with a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, as well as support for Wi-Fi 7. In 2025.

Since the iPhone 16 won’t be unveiled until next September, reports like this should be taken with a pinch of your favorite low-sodium seasoning. Remember, plenty could change between now and the iPhone 16’s unveiling, so stay tuned.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]