Earlier this week, a random report from an account with zero track-record claimed that the iPhone 18 will drop the Camera Control button. We were skeptical of the rumor at the time, and now a new leak from a more reliable source has the full context.

As it turns out, Apple isn’t planning to remove the Camera Control from the iPhone 18 altogether, but rather introduce a dumbed-down version of it.

As a refresher, the Camera Control on the iPhone 16 is a complex piece of engineering. It combines a pressure-sensitive button with a capacitive surface on which you can swipe and tap to manipulate the Camera app. You can press the button to take a picture and swipe on its surface to switch between modes, zoom in and out, and more.

The rumor comes from the Instant Digital account on Weibo, which has accurately leaked information about upcoming iPhones in the past. They say Apple is currently running normal trial production of the pressure sensor used in the iPhone’s Camera Control. The company, however, has removed the touch-sensitive component from the button.

The report specifically cites the high production cost and long-term reliability concerns of the Camera Control as reasons for this change. I’m sure that user feedback is also playing a role.

9to5Mac’s Take

This makes a lot more sense to me than Apple ditching the Camera Control altogether.

My use of the Camera Control consists of using it as a way to launch the Camera app and as a shutter button to take pictures. In fact, I have all the fancy “swipey-swipey” features disabled.

I’d be bummed if Apple removed the Camera Control altogether. A simplified version of it, however, makes perfect sense. Plus, Apple uses the Camera Control as a way to quickly launch its Visual Intelligence feature, which is getting a big upgrade as part of iOS 26 this year.

What do you think? Let us know down in the comments.

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