iPhone 16 Pro Max ordered, and Apple still manages to surprise me

I expected to be ordering an iPhone 16 Pro Max, largely due to the functionality of the Camera Control button. This feature turned out to be an even stronger draw than anticipated. Despite the button itself inevitably leaking beforehand, Apple managed to keep much of its functionality secret.

Apple gave me more than I expected
We first heard about this feature almost a year ago, confirmed later by leaked CAD drawings and dummy units. Initially referred to as a dedicated Capture button, I noted last month that this could be a bigger deal than it sounded, given its reported combination of a shutter release button with half-press and capacitive swipe. The swipe function was said to be for zoom, which seemed to approach a feature I requested back in February: a hardware focus/zoom ring. I mentioned then that zooming smoothly while shooting was tricky on a touchscreen.

The challenge is that doing this smoothly is very tricky when sliding a thumb on a sheet of glass. The inevitable variation in pressure applied while holding the phone means that friction is variable, often resulting in nothing happening followed by a sudden jump, rather than the smooth movement desired. I imagine parents videoing their kids running around might face the same issue. Smooth focus-pulling and zoom require a hardware control.

Initially, I didn’t expect this feature to be integrated into an iPhone; I imagined it as an accessory case. However, Apple has built it directly into the iPhone. While it’s not the wheel I envisioned, and we’ll have to wait to see if a capacitive button is better than a glass screen for delivering smooth and reliable control, Apple’s inclusion of it suggests confidence in its improvement over the touchscreen.

But Apple went even further.
The double-half-press action allows users to select other controls, such as artificial aperture for changing depth of field, exposure compensation for adjusting light and darkness, and photo styles for previewing filters while shooting.

We won’t have full access to all of the button’s functionality until later in the year, but this combination of features was enough to convince me to make a purchase.

Other camera improvements
I previously mentioned that I was hoping for other camera enhancements, and Apple has indeed delivered. I covered these improvements in a separate piece, but I’m particularly eager to try the 48MP Ultra Wide lens. The ultra-wide camera has previously been subpar compared to the main and telephoto cameras, with notably poorer quality, so I hope for significant improvement here. Additionally, I’m excited to test the audio-mixing capabilities when using the built-in microphones. There’s also a slightly larger screen, though I don’t expect it to be particularly noticeable.

Watch this space
My pre-order process wasn’t the smoothest. The Apple Store app not only lost my pre-selected order details but also my card details, slowing things down. Fortunately, I still secured a day-one delivery date. I’ll be sharing my experience with the new model, including side-by-side comparison photos between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its replacement.