Apple iPhone 16: New report reveals unexpected design change

Updated on September 5 with more changes to the iPhone 16 case, including a discussion on FineWoven.

The iPhone 16 series has plenty of changes in store, such as different displays on some models, a wider implementation of the unusual tetraprism camera, a new thermal design to prevent overheating, better battery life and an improved main camera sensor.  But a new capture button for taking photos or shooting video could mean a cool new cover for that.  And the report also lets slip that the new button appears to be coming to all new iPhones.  The new report comes courtesy of photos of iPhone 16 cases, which show where the new button will be.  But it also raises a question: What about Fine Woven?

It’s a material, you’ll recall, that Apple introduced last year to make its leather fairy
It’s a material, you may recall, that Apple introduced last year to replace its premium leather products like leather iPhone cases or Apple Watch bands.

It was developed to offer a high-quality finish that did not harm the environment in the way the leather was produced.  But the problem was that fine woven turned out to be unpopular.  Many found that it did not have longevity and began to look less than premium very quickly.

As Tim Hardwick reported on MacRumors, while it was more environmentally friendly, “it didn’t go over well with consumers, and dwindling stocks for Apple’s iPhone 16 event on September 9 left many wondering what Apple is about to pull the plug on Fine Woven for good.

Since the report says that stocks of iPhone cases are at an “all-time low,” this could indicate that Apple is now phasing out Fine Woven.  Or will it be released in a different color lineup?  Keynote will tell us.

Back to the capture button… the thing about the capture button is that it is rumored to be capacitive so you can half press to focus before pressing properly to take the shot.  Swiping right and left can zoom in and out, it’s thought.

A capacitive button means that, like the touch screen on an iPhone, it works via a weak electric field that responds when another electric field (specifically, your finger) impinges on it.  This is why you can’t use capacitive screens underwater, for example.

So, the assumption was that phone cases would be designed with holes to allow easy access to the capture button.

But it looks like Apple’s own silicone iPhone cases won’t have a gap but rather a piece of material over where the button sits, according to a leak from @DuanRui.

The post shows images of what it claims are third-party iPhone 16 cases, right where the capture button is expected to sit.  And I can confirm that the (many) iPhone 16 cases I’ve been sent to review have this difference.

But the post says that Google’s translation from Chinese says that “Apple’s official iPhone 16 series protective case is said to not have this opening and will be built into an integrated design, which will not affect its normal use. capacitive buttons.”

Well, covering the button kind of makes sense: you don’t want to accidentally trigger the shutter with your finger, do you?

But the content in question is a mystery.  The thing is, you can dial the distance at which the capacitive buttons can see an interaction.  I remember seeing a Microsoft keyboard that actually amplified it so that as soon as you touched it, the backlight came on from about a foot away.  The same principle means that many phones let you interact with the display with gloves on.

Perhaps this button could be controlled by a physical barrier similar to gloves.  Or maybe it’s specific content — hey, Apple can license it!

As mentioned above, the bottom line is that according to third-party cases, the Capture button is coming to the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, not just the Pro versions.  Not sure about.