Apple’s first foldable iPhone has been the subject of countless leaks, and the latest one comes from Weibo leaker Instant Digital. As reported by Notebookcheck, the leak suggests that the iPhone Fold will include the Camera Control button, despite being thinner than the iPhone Air when unfolded.
That’s no small feat. Fitting the Camera Control button into a device that slim must have required some serious engineering work on Apple’s part. But apparently, Apple felt it was worth it.
Why is Apple so committed to camera control?
According to the leaker, the reason is simple: one-handed photography. Foldables have a well-known problem where you need one hand to hold the device and the other to interact with the screen.
According to the leaker, Apple’s argument is that Camera Control lets you zoom, adjust settings, and shoot photos or videos with a single hand. It’s a reasonable idea in theory. Whether it works in practice is a different question.
Will it actually be easier to use?
Honestly, it’s hard to say without using the device. The iPhone Fold will have a larger and wider footprint than a regular iPhone, and using your thumb or index finger to operate the Camera Control button on the same hand you’re holding the phone with doesn’t sound all that comfortable.
I have used the Camera Control button on both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone Air. From my experience, using the Camera Control is a pain. It’s not intuitive to use and is finicky to control.
For example, it’s very hard to control the amount of zoom you want. It constantly overshoots or undershoots what I want. The on-screen controls give me better accuracy when setting the zoom.
My only two uses for Camera Control over the past two years have been launching the camera and using it as a shutter button. It excels in both those scenarios, and I would rather have an iPhone with it than without.
But I cannot see myself using the Camera Control button to adjust settings like zoom or exposure. If it’s cumbersome to use on my iPhone Air, I don’t see how it will make sense on an even thinner and larger iPhone Fold.
