Whereas the iPhone 16 launched quite a lot of {hardware} enhancements, a few of Apple’s deliberate options by no means made it to the ultimate mass-production models. Here is every little thing that was scrapped throughout improvement.
Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup went by a number of completely different prototype levels, as is often the case for brand new {hardware} initiatives. Throughout these numerous improvement levels, the corporate typically makes important design adjustments, altering the looks of gadgets within the course of.
In different conditions, nevertheless, Apple can take away new {hardware} options. This may occur for quite a lot of causes, relying on the scenario in query. The corporate has to make it possible for new {hardware} elements adhere to its stringent quality-control requirements, which means that completely different designs and supplies are sometimes examined.
Throughout the improvement of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional, Apple altered sure design features in addition to key {hardware} elements. Most of the adjustments in query should do with the gadgets’ buttons, as early prototype models had been used to check alternate button designs and distinctive {hardware} preparations not discovered within the closing mass-production fashions.
Normally, new iPhones are iterative upgrades that construct upon options and adjustments launched with the earlier technology. The iPhone 16 isn’t any exception on this regard, as a few of Apple’s button-related adjustments had been meant to enhance the Motion button, launched in 2023.
With the iPhone 15 Professional, Apple changed the single-purpose mute change with a user-configurable mechanical button generally known as the Motion button. Customers can assign the button to one among Apple’s many pre-defined actions, or they’ll use it together with Shortcuts. The Motion button can be utilized to, as an example, toggle the iPhone flashlight, open the Digital camera app, begin recording a Voice Memo, and rather more.
Unsurprisingly, the Motion button has made its strategy to your entire iPhone 16 vary, together with base fashions. It did not all the time keep its current look, although, as Apple needed to additional enhance the motion button by added performance.
Mission Atlas — Apple’s scrapped thought for a capacitive Motion button
Whereas the event of the iPhone 15 vary was nonetheless underway, Apple experimented with completely different button-related design selections for the iPhone 16 lineup. The corporate examined two completely different designs for the Motion button, solely one among which was used for the ultimate product.
In keeping with folks acquainted with the matter, who spoke to AppleInsider, some early prototypes and inside designs for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional contained a noticeably completely different Motion button.
With Mission Atlas, Apple needed to create a capacitive Motion button that may have mirrored the performance of the Digital camera Management
Not like the model discovered on mass manufacturing models, early prototype gadgets had a considerably bigger Motion button. When it comes to measurement, it was near the size of the quantity keys, which means that it will have allowed for a brand new look.
Developed below the codename Mission Atlas, the button would have mirrored the performance of the brand new Digital camera Management button, which was generally known as Mission Nova inside Apple. Which means that the bigger Motion button would have gained a sapphire crystal floor, together with a capacitive sensor and high-precision pressure sensor.
In sensible phrases, which means the big Motion button would have had the flexibility to detect completely different ranges of strain and differentiate between the identical gestures used for the Digital camera Management button. On mass-production models of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional, the Digital camera Management affords added performance within the Digital camera app by completely different gestures and strain detection.
The performance of the Digital camera Management button and the way the Motion button would have mirrored it
A light-weight press of the Digital camera Management button opens a minimal digital camera app interface. Customers can slide over the button’s floor to zoom in or out or use one other mild press to take an image. Video will be recorded by urgent and holding the Digital camera Management button whereas the Digital camera app is open.
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The Digital camera Management button on the iPhone 16 lets customers seize photographs and movies extra simply.
A brand new iOS 18 function generally known as Visible Intelligence will allow further use instances for the Digital camera Management button by integration with Apple Intelligence. Whereas the function itself will solely be out there later in 2024, Apple has already revealed the way it will work.
Customers will be capable of obtain details about a location or object of curiosity by merely urgent and holding the Digital camera Management, and pointing their iPhone in the direction of the thing. As an example, Visible Intelligence will make it potential so as to add a calendar occasion by merely scanning a flyer. Pointing the iPhone in the direction of a restaurant will show rankings for the placement or different helpful data.
The identical Digital camera Management button may also let customers faucet to go looking Google or ChatGPT, and it is going to be usable in third-party apps comparable to Snapchat later in 2024.
Apple’s Mission Atlas would have enabled comparable performance, solely on the alternative aspect of the iPhone, above the quantity buttons. Presumably, the big Motion button would have additionally retained its user-configurable standing. In principle, which means Apple might have supplied further customization choices particular to the Motion button.
Relative to the Digital camera Management button, the big Motion button additionally featured the same look, being flush with the body. Which means that it didn’t stick out like the facility button or the quantity keys presently do. The capacitive Motion button was retained till the Proto1 stage of improvement, ultimately being phased out with Proto2 models.
Mission Atlas traces its origins again to Mission Bongo, as each had been set to seem on the iPhone 16 vary, at one cut-off date.
Mission Bongo would have launched a unified, haptic quantity button to the iPhone 16 vary
Apple’s Mission Bongo, initially conceived as a {hardware} replace for the iPhone 15 Professional, was meant to introduce haptic quantity and energy buttons to the iPhone. Earlier than the mission’s abrupt cancellation in April of 2023, Apple had plans to make use of it for your entire iPhone 16 vary as properly.
Apple’s Mission Bongo would’ve launched a brand new unified quantity button design, which will be seen on this prototype iPhone 15 Professional Max
Design-wise, the Bongo mission was meant to introduce a unified quantity button, with a notch within the center to assist customers differentiate between the quantity up and quantity down positions. AppleInsider revealed unique imagery of this design on an EVT prototype of the iPhone 15 Professional Max, as a part of our devoted report on Mission Bongo.
In the identical article, we outlined the core {hardware} elements of the haptic quantity and energy buttons. Briefly, the buttons detected adjustments in strain by pressure gauges and produced haptic suggestions by the so-called “Bongo Haptic Engine” — an electromagnetically pushed reluctance motor, consisting of a ferromagnetic core and copper coil, oscillating in relation to an attraction plate.
For the iPhone 16, Apple initially needed to incorporate each a Bongo-style unified quantity button in addition to a capacitive Motion button and Digital camera Management. Finally, the Digital camera Management is the one one which made it to the ultimate product.
Apple had already deserted Mission Bongo on the iPhone 16 Professional by the Proto1 stage of improvement. The Proto2 stage eradicated Mission Atlas, making the Digital camera Management the one new function for the iPhone 16.
Different adjustments to the iPhone 16 vary had been stylistic in nature, somewhat than hardware-related. They solely affected the bottom mannequin iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as a result of distinctive digital camera structure discovered on these two gadgets.
Early prototypes of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus had digital camera designs impressed by older iPhone fashions
With the bottom iPhone 16, Apple switched again to utilizing a vertical rear digital camera structure for its normal gadgets. Not like the iPhone 15, which featured diagonally aligned rear cameras, the iPhone 16 options two lenses stacked one on prime of the opposite, with a flash to the aspect.
Early prototypes of the iPhone 16 featured digital camera bump designs paying homage to the iPhone 12 and iPhone X
Apple opted for this transformation with a view to make spatial video seize potential on the bottom mannequin iPhone 16. The brand new vertical digital camera alignment lets these gadgets document immersive 3D movies and photographs, which will be performed on the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional headset.
Though the place of the iPhone 16 lenses and flash by no means modified throughout improvement, early prototypes of the gadget had some familiar-looking designs for the rear digital camera bump.
As revealed in a December 2023 report, pre-production prototypes of the bottom mannequin iPhone 16 used two distinct digital camera designs. One in all them, which noticed extra in depth use on prototype gadgets, appeared almost equivalent to the digital camera bump of the iPhone 12.
Although it clearly accommodated the improved cameras of the iPhone 16, this design consisted of two separate lenses on a raised, sq. digital camera bump floor — successfully a scaled-up model of the iPhone 12 design.
The opposite iPhone 16 design Apple thought of appeared like a mix of the iPhone 12 digital camera bump and the lens enclosure of the iPhone X. This design featured a raised, sq. digital camera bump with a pill-shaped lens enclosure meant for each cameras.
After experimenting with two completely different digital camera bump designs, which had been just like the iPhone X and iPhone 12, Apple selected a 3rd, completely different design for the digital camera bump.
These digital camera bump designs had been by no means realized, and so they solely appeared on prototype models. Apple ultimately settled on a 3rd design that maintains stylistic cues from each, and that is what ended up on the ultimate model of the bottom mannequin iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
The capacitive Motion button, Digital camera Management in addition to unified, haptic quantity buttons had been additionally examined on prototypes of the usual iPhone 16. Except for the Digital camera Management, the initiatives by no means made it to mass manufacturing.
That being mentioned, nevertheless, there are many distinctive upgrades that did make it to the ultimate variations of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional. The highly effective A18 vary of chips, with improved efficiency and Apple Intelligence help, make the iPhone 16 price contemplating.
For individuals who need gadgets with a brand new look, vibrant colour choices coupled with a vertical rear digital camera structure make the bottom fashions visually distinct and noticeably completely different from their predecessors.