Scrapped iPhone 16 Designs: Alternate Buttons and Camera Layouts That Never Made It to Production

The iPhone 16 lineup went through several prototype stages, resulting in the removal of some planned features. One feature that didn′t make it to the final product was a capacitive Action button, part of Project Atlas, that would have mirrored the functionality of the Camera Control button. Another feature, Project Bongo, would have introduced haptic volume and power buttons. The design of the base model iPhone 16 camera was also changed during development, with prototypes featuring camera bump designs similar to the iPhone 12 and iPhone X. The final product features a vertical rear camera layout, allowing for spatial video capture and immersive 3D videos and photos. The Camera Control button, which did make it to the final product, offers added functionality in the Camera app through different gestures and pressure detection.