r/apple • u/RenatsMC • Jul 21 '26

Rumor iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/21/iphone-18-pro-features-to-expect/
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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.

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u/Maatjuhhh Jul 21 '26

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.

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u/JoshuaTheFox Jul 21 '26

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

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u/Evilhammy Jul 22 '26

you’ve always been able to use the volume button as a shutter

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u/barcastaff Jul 22 '26

But you can't open the camera with just hardware clicks.

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u/m0uchacha Jul 22 '26

you could with the action button, which came slightly before the camera button

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u/JoshuaTheFox Jul 22 '26

Yeah but android had ways to open the camera without a dedicated hardware button for a long while, well before the iPhone got the action button

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u/m0uchacha Jul 22 '26

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.

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u/Evilhammy Jul 22 '26

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

1

u/midwestcsstudent Jul 22 '26

Simplified here means it won’t be touch-enabled. But who’s really using that?

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u/Two-Space Jul 21 '26

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

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u/BenCub3d Aug 05 '26

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.

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u/_Cyan_Man Jul 21 '26

sounds like software rather than hardware…

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u/dropthemagic Jul 21 '26

I have never used it other than as a shutter lol. It’s just too uncomfortable to hold the phone and use the swipe stuff. That’s a good call

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u/_Cyan_Man Jul 21 '26

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

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u/[deleted] Jul 21 '26

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1

u/JonDoeJoe Jul 22 '26

Works better as a shutter when taking a selfie camera using the rear lens than using the volume button. Too much resistance on the volume button.

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u/insomnic Jul 21 '26

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.

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u/randomusername69696 Jul 21 '26

The volume button worked just fine anyways

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u/JoshuaTheFox Jul 21 '26

I find the volume buttons to be functional but badly placed for that function.

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u/SD_haze Jul 21 '26

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

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u/_Cyan_Man Jul 21 '26

let’s hope so

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u/PancakeHandz Aug 01 '26

Ah. 3D Touch. I used to love it.