A year and two iPhone generations after Apple debuted the Camera Control feature, the company appears ready to simplify it. According to a report from Weibo leaker Instant Digital, Apple is planning to remove the capacitive sensing layer, leaving only the pressure-sensing system in place.
This shift would align with what other smartphone manufacturers like Oppo and Vivo already offer. Their devices rely on a single-sensor setup capable of recognizing taps, presses, and sliding gestures. While Apple’s move could suggest that the Camera Control is being quietly phased out—given its mixed reception—it may also reflect a cost-optimization decision.
Even with fewer sensors, Camera Control would still recognize varying degrees of pressure and sliding interactions. More intriguingly, rumors suggest that for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary, Apple could introduce piezoelectric ceramics to deliver more refined haptic feedback. This would tie in with the company’s long-rumored transition to solid-state buttons.
Opinion: Apple Should Drop Camera Control Altogether
Even as Apple aims to simplify the Camera Control’s manufacturing process, perhaps the real solution is to remove it entirely. After using the feature for a year on the iPhone 16 Pro Max—and now on the iPhone 17 Pro Max—it feels helpful only for quick camera access or launching Visual Intelligence, both of which are situational at best.
While Visual Intelligence continues to evolve and provides clever features, the Camera Control still feels like an unnecessary addition. Much like the Action Button, it’s only as useful as the shortcuts users assign to it—and for many, it ends up being just another idle button.
Apple’s design philosophy has traditionally focused on moving the industry forward. Yet recent hardware additions like the Action Button and Camera Control seem to double down on more buttons, not fewer. The ongoing rumors about solid-state buttons, however, hint at Apple’s enduring ambition: a sleek, button-free, and portless iPhone.
