Since introducing the all-screen design, Apple has in recent years once again shifted the focus of hardware innovation back to the physical button experience. From the iPhone 15 Pro first introducing the customizable Action Button to the iPhone 16 series adding the Camera Control button designed specifically for the photography experience, Apple is clearly continuing to explore new possibilities for human-computer interaction. However, the latest reports indicate that this tech giant may be ready to adjust the iPhone’s button configuration strategy again before the next major milestone arrives.
Apple might be planning to remove the Action Button on the iPhone
According to a Chinese Weibo tipster The term “Instant Digital”Apple plans to remove the current Action button from the new-generation iPhone launching in the second half of 2027 and integrate its functions into the Camera Control button. If the report is accurate, users will be able to perform multiple actions with a single physical button in the future—for example, pressing once to quickly wake the camera, while a long press can activate functions previously assigned to the Action button, such as the flashlight, voice recording, Focus mode, or shortcuts.
Notably, the only thing rumored to be sacrificed is the “Action button,” while the “Camera Control” feature will be retained and may even become a core entry point for Apple’s future interaction design.
From a product design perspective, reducing the number of physical buttons is indeed consistent with Apple’s longstanding pursuit of minimalist aesthetics. Fewer buttons mean cleaner body lines and also help with internal space planning. However, this adjustment may also bring new user experience challenges. The current Camera Control button itself carries a fairly rich set of functions, including quick photo capture, video recording, focal length switching, parameter adjustment, and visual recognition operations related to Apple Intelligence. Users need to use different levels of pressure, swipe gestures, and tapping methods to complete various commands.
If Apple further integrates the responsibilities of the Action button, it will inevitably need to redesign the entire interaction logic. In particular, some existing functions already occupy long-press gestures, so how to add more commands within a limited set of gesture combinations in the future while keeping them intuitive and easy to use will be a major challenge. For Apple, which has always valued user experience, avoiding excessive feature stacking that increases the learning curve will likely be more difficult than hardware integration itself.
In fact, this rumored button adjustment is likely just part of Apple’s larger design overhaul. The industry widely believes that 2027 will be an important milestone in the history of the iPhone. The first-generation iPhone launched in 2007, so 2027 is also regarded as the 20th anniversary of the iPhone’s birth. Market rumors indicate that Apple is preparing to pay tribute to this history with a commemorative model.
Multiple reports have already indicated that this anniversary-edition iPhone may adopt solid-state button technology, using haptic feedback to simulate the feel of physical presses and thereby reduce mechanical structures. In addition, the new device may introduce a more futuristic curved-glass edge design to further enhance its unibody appearance. There are even rumors suggesting that Apple may skip the iPhone 19 naming convention entirely and use “iPhone 20” as the product name to highlight its commemorative value and generational significance.
Source: KOCPC Chinese