Last Friday, the iPhone 16 series hit Apple Stores worldwide. And Apple fans have had just over a week of experiencing its advanced AI-driven Siri and customisable features.
But thanks to a few leaks, we can also see what Apple features almost made the cut but were left out.
One major design shift in the iPhone 16 lineup is that all four models now feature the same button changes.
The familiar Mute switch on the left has been replaced by an Action button. And there’s also a new Camera Control button on the right, where some phones used to have its 5G antenna.
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While these changes made it to the final version, there were other button ideas that Apple did consider but abandoned during the prototyping phase.
In the end, the Camera Control button is the only new addition that survived.
According to Apple Insider, Apple experimented with different button ideas whilst developing the iPhone 16 models.
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One concept known as 'Project Atlas' involved an Action button larger than the compared to the current version.
Measuring the same size as the volume keys, its functionality would have been similar to the Camera Control.
Apple considered adding many functions to this button also depending on how you would press it.
Something like this would've added a dynamic experience for users but also could've complicated something that didn't need to be.
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It could also sample Apple's future where iPhones may soon come without buttons, as per BGR.
Another scrapped concept, codenamed 'Project Bongo' referred to combining the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons into a single button with a small 'notch' to allow users to tell the difference.
This project reportedly dates back to the iPhone 15 prototype but the tech giant ultimately decided to stick to separate volume keys for the iPhone 16 design.
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All in all, Apple ultimately ditched both projects Atlas and Bongo.
Interestingly, the only one that survived was Project Nova, which is the result of the Camera Control button we see today on the iPhone 16.
Lastly, the leaks show a vertical camera alignment that's similar to older models like the iPhone X through the iPhone 12.
The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus' camera flash sits outside the camera module in the final design. Earlier prototypes had the flash built into the module, similar to the iPhone 12, but Apple moved away from that idea before the final release.