Apple's Strategy: Adding an iPhone Camera Button to Cater to Creators' Preference for Horizontal Videos

Apple is testing a new button on prototypes of the iPhone 16 to help people quickly take videos and photos when they hold the device horizontally, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. Apple has envisioned the new camera button as a key selling point for the device, these people said. The iPhone 16 is due out in the fall.

The development of the button comes as individual video content creators and mobile apps that host user-generated content, such as TikTok, increasingly shift their attention to horizontal videos. Such videos can appear on bigger screens such as televisions and can reach a broader audience than vertical ones. They also present more advertising opportunities.