Early iPhone 16 Pro Prototypes Show Modified Action Button Design

Apple has reportedly been tinkering with the size and overall design of the Action button for the iPhone 16 Pro, but in the latest design stage, it looks like the Cupertino firm is sticking with a design it knows works.

As reported by MacRumors, Apple has so far tested four different button configurations with two different sizes for the button:

• A unified volume button with a smaller Action button
• A unified volume button with a larger Action button and an added Capture button
• Separate volume buttons with the large Action button and a Capture button that fits flush with the iPhone’s frame
• Separate volume buttons with a small Action button and a Capture button flush with the iPhone’s frame (the current iPhone 15 Pro design)

The earliest prototypes of the iPhone 16 Pro reportedly had a unified volume button and a small multi-purpose Action button located on the left side of the device, with a power button on the right. The design was originally intended for the iPhone 15 Pro, which was an attempt to bring haptic buttons to the iPhone. The design was rejected, though, as test results were unsatisfactory, and Apple saw high hardware failure rates during testing.

The second iPhone 16 Pro prototype variant included a unified volume button but sported a larger Action button that was nearly the same size as the volume buttons. An additional “Capture button” was located on the right side of the handset, below the power button.

Later prototypes boasted separate volume buttons in the place of the unified button. Apple had planned to equip the device with a capacitive Action button and Capture button, both were flush with the frame and used force sensor technology.

Now, the most recent prototype features a smaller Action button similar to the one found on the iPhone 15 Pro, moving away from the larger, flush buttons of the previous prototype.

We’re not sure how these changes on the iPhone 16 Pro will affect future iterations of the iPhone Pro lineup. However, we will be keeping an eye out for any future changes that could impact this fall’s upcoming iPhone 16 Pro lineup.

We’ve seen several other reports about the new features the iPhone 16 Pro lineup might bring. These include a 5X tetraprism camera, a cooler battery, and a higher-quality 48-megapixel (MP) Ultra Wide camera sensor, that would join the 48MP main camera that debuted on last year’s iPhone 14 Pro lineup. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are also expected to sport larger 6.3 and 6.9-inch display sizes, respectively.

It’s likely we’ll see more changes in the iPhone 16 Pro’s design between now, and this fall’s release and we’ll be sure to report on them. Keep in mind, though, that changes like this and others take place during device development, meaning that things may change completely before the release later this year. Stay tuned for more news as the new iPhones go through the development phase.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]