A new button might be coming to the iPhone 16 range – but what does it do?

A photo of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
(Image credit: Basil Kronfli)

The iPhone 16 is set to be released in September, and the rumors about its appearance and features have been swirling around for months. 

Now, YouTuber and technology news enthusiast MattTalksTech has got his hands on some dummy models of the new iPhone 16 range, which seem to confirm some of these rumors. 

Describing it as a "Real hands-on review of what the new iPhone 16 to the iPhone 16 Pro Max models are actually going to give us this year," the video adds, "and I want to confirm with you the leaks and rumors around the design today."

A new leak video from Box Therapy has allegedly revealed what the dummy models look like, and MattTalksTech says they are a “big big important factor because at around this time of year, a lot of companies out there who make cases and accessories for the next generation of iPhones start to get their factories working, and they need to work on dummy iPhones to know exactly how they’re going to position their buttons, and actually put their molds around the actual size of the iPhones that are coming out.”

The video begins by saying that in comparison to the design of the iPhone 15 range, there are very few differences, however, there is a new button. 

“You can see and this is the new spatial vision button or spatial video button,” says MattTalksTech, “Whatever you want to call it.”

This feature became available on the iPhone 15 range, however, not with its own dedicated button. The addition of new features to the external design of new Apple phones is unusual, because they seem to like removing buttons, and just have everything centrally located on the screen.

iPhone 16 Pro Max - LEAKED HANDS-ON Design Review! - YouTube iPhone 16 Pro Max - LEAKED HANDS-ON Design Review! - YouTube
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“So this must mean something to them,” adds MattTalksTech, “A lot of us speculate that this is going to be for the Spatial recording, but personally I hope that this button can be customized a little bit more, that we might be able to change it to normal video recording.”

Based on the dummy designs it would appear that the width will stay the same as the 15 range, but they also seem to confirm that “We are actually going to be getting a 6.3 and a 6.9 in display,” says the video, “the bezels are going to be even thinner on this iPhone.”

Nothing is mentioned about the rumor from Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this month about that the new 16 range will have the same tetera-prism cameras as the 15 range, however, the dummy phones seem to suggest that the back of the phone might be losing its square camera formation.

“This time, with just the two lenses we’re not going to have the sort of square on the back anymore,” says MattTalksTech, referencing the iPhone S11.

The formation appears to now be “a kind of pill, very similar to the iPhone 10 and the iPhone XS…but obviously far bigger lenses this time.”

The video doesn't mention anything about potential colors, however they do show images of a range of pastel-colored models.

TechRadar has reported their prediction that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus might come in a range of seven overall colors, with the black, pink, blue, yellow, and green being the same as the iPhone 15.

They also suggest that there may be two new colors – white and purple – with the purple model following the previous use of the color and staying quite bright.

Check out the best iPhones for photography, as well as the best camera phones, and the best lenses for iPhone and Android camera phones.

Leonie Helm
Staff Writer

After graduating from Cardiff University with an Master's Degree in Journalism, Media and Communications Leonie developed a love of photography after taking a year out to travel around the world. 

While visiting countries such as Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh and Ukraine with her trusty Nikon, Leonie learned how to capture the beauty of these inspiring places, and her photography has accompanied her various freelance travel features. 

As well as travel photography Leonie also has a passion for wildlife photography both in the UK and abroad.