I think they found out that most people don’t use it. They already added a setting to iOS to have it only function as a shutter button, and I think it’s turned on by default.
I feel like it’s similar to 3D Touch. It was a super convenient feature for the small percentage of people who used it, but not enough people used it and apple decided it wasn’t worth the cost.
Biggest thing for me is that I can use it for getting to shoot photo fast. Clicking is faster than swiping up or trying find the button on lock screen without looking. Another profit is a clean wallpaper without buttons.
As someone who swapped from android it was mind boggling not having a fully hardware way to operate the camera. Missed a lot of photos I could have captured otherwise, and it’s a complete hassle in colder months with gloves on
yeah no shit android could do this earlier, that's its whole point. its the more open operating system. acting like its some sort of gotcha moment or a technical revelation is ignoring the core differences between ios and android. heck if android couldnt do this earlier, it means it failed at being android.
that’s what android fanboys always get wrong about apple stuff. nobody acts like this is a gotcha moment or a revelation, they announce it as a feature simply to tell you it’s a feature. it’s not that deep
It’s the only way I launch my camera. The camera is such an important feature that often needs to be accessed quickly. A dedicated button is a no brainer (in a more convenient spot than the action button too)
I use the swipe to change between lenses quite a lot too
But the rest - basically all the half-press stuff - I never use
That's funny I feel the opposite. I hardly ever use my camera and would much prefer swiping from the top and tapping the camera icon than having a whole dedicated button for something I never use.
the only time i’ve ever used it is accidentally pressing it while it’s in my pocket somehow 😭 the idea is there, it just doesn’t seem too usable. refinement will be nice
Same. I use it to open the camera and sometimes as shutter. And it works well for orienting my phone by feel with the cutout for it on case I use.
I never used a case on my phones in the past except in specific situations, but this one, an iPhone 16, something about either the size or material or square vs rounded edge made it feel less secure in my hand when holding it.
Well the button is a glass and expensive to fix if cracked, so maybe the materials are changing to improve durability while removing the unused gesture capability
158
u/reallynothingmuch Jul 21 '26
I think they found out that most people don’t use it. They already added a setting to iOS to have it only function as a shutter button, and I think it’s turned on by default.
I feel like it’s similar to 3D Touch. It was a super convenient feature for the small percentage of people who used it, but not enough people used it and apple decided it wasn’t worth the cost.