Unexpected design change leaked in new report

Updated September 5 with more changes to the iPhone 16 case, including the FineWoven debate.

The iPhone 16 series comes with a lot of changes, such as different displays on some models, a wider implementation of the exceptional tetraprism camera, a new thermal design to prevent overheating, improved battery life, and an improved main camera sensor. But the new capture button for taking photos or videos could mean there's a surprising new cover for it. And the report also leaks that it looks like the new button will be included on all new iPhones. The new report includes images of iPhone 16 cases that show where the new button will be located. But it also raises a question: What will happen to FineWoven?

As you may recall, this is a material that Apple introduced last year to replace its premium leather products, such as leather cases for the iPhone or straps for the Apple Watch.

ForbesLatest iPhone 16 release date: What to expect, when and whereFrom David Phelan

It was designed to provide a high-quality finish that didn't have as much of an environmental impact as leather production. The problem was that FineWoven proved unpopular. Many found that it didn't last long and soon stopped looking as high-quality.

As Tim Hardwick reports at MacRumors, while it's more environmentally friendly, “it hasn't been well received by customers, and dwindling inventory ahead of Apple's iPhone 16 event on September 9 has many people wondering if Apple will finally pull the plug on FineWoven.”

With iPhone case inventory “at an all-time low,” according to the report, this could indicate that Apple is giving up on FineWoven now. Or will it come in a range of different colors? The keynote will tell us.

Back to the record button… Rumor has it that the record button will be capacitive, so you can half-press it to focus before fully pressing it to take a shot. Swiping right and left will presumably zoom in and out.

A capacitive button, like the iPhone's touchscreen, works via a weak electric field that reacts when another electric field (specifically, your finger) interrupts it. This is why you can't use capacitive screens underwater, for example.

Therefore, it was assumed that phone cases would have holes in them to allow easy access to the record button.

However, according to a leak from @DuanRui, it seems that Apple's own silicone cases for the iPhone do not have a gap, but rather a piece of material over where the button is located.

The post shows images of alleged third-party iPhone 16 cases that have a gap right where the record button is supposed to be. And I can confirm that the (many) iPhone 16 cases that were sent to me for testing all have this gap.

But the post states (in a Google translation from Chinese): “It is said that Apple's official iPhone 16 series protective case will not have this opening and will have an integrated design that will not affect the normal use of this capacitive button.”

Well, covering the button makes sense in a way: you don't want to keep accidentally pressing the shutter button with your finger, do you?

But the material in question is a mystery. The thing is, you can increase the distance at which capacitive keys can detect interaction. I remember seeing a Microsoft keyboard where the distance was so high that if you touched it from half a meter away, the backlight would turn on. The same principle means that on many phones you can interact with the display while wearing gloves.

Maybe this button can be controlled through a physical barrier, just like the gloves. Or maybe it's a bespoke material – hey, Apple could license it!

As mentioned above, the most important takeaway from all this is that, according to third-party cases, the Capture Button will be available on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, not just the Pro versions—something some people, like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, were unsure about.

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