Apple to Keep Camera Control Button on iPhone 18, But With New Pressure-Only Design [Rumor]

A new report from leaker Instant Digital on Weibo claims Apple is not planning to remove the Camera Control button from its future iPhones, but is instead testing a new, lower-cost version for the iPhone 18 series. The updated button would reportedly drop the capacitive touch sensor, instead using only pressure sensitivity to manage different gestures.

The current Camera Control button, which debuted on the iPhone 16 models, combines a force sensor with capacitive touch to manage functions like zoom and focus. According to the leaker, Apple is now testing a version for the iPhone 18 that uses only pressure sensors to achieve the same functionality, including light touch, heavy press, and sliding gestures. This purely pressure-based approach is said to be similar to solutions used by competitors like OPPO and vivo.

Cost is reportedly the main reason for the change, as the current dual-sensor setup is expensive to make and to repair. The leaker adds that there's also internal pressure to justify the expense, since the button's key features—tied to advanced Apple Intelligence and visual AI—have not been fully rolled out. Apple's most advanced Siri features were recently delayed until 2026.


Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more iPhone 18 updates.