MacRumors has seen extensive evidence that Apple is planning to include the Action button on the entire iPhone 16 range, as seen on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
On the iPhone 15 Pro, the Action button was intended to appear alongside haptic volume and power buttons. The button was designed and planned at least as far back as 2021. Due to unresolved technical issues, the haptic volume and power buttons were abruptly canceled. However, the Action button remained, eventually making its way onto the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple will include the Action button on all four iPhone 16 series devices, according to MacRumors. This year’s iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models had mute switches, but Apple seems to be adding them to the vanilla iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. It is also rumored that the iPhone 16 series’ Action button will be capacitive instead of mechanical with force sensor feedback, similar to the TouchID sensors on older iPhones and the Force Touch trackpad on MacBooks.
On the right-hand side of the iPhone 16 series, the new Action button will be joined by a capacitive Capture button. Some iPhone 16 designs feature larger buttons than those on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, as Apple experiments with different sizes. According to MacRumors, the next generation iPhone SE, expected to launch in 2025, will also feature an Action button.
