Apple could be planning to streamline the buttons on its upcoming iPhones by combining two of them into one. According to a new claim from a tipster on Weibo, the company intends to fold the Action button's capabilities into the Camera Control, effectively removing one physical button from future devices.
The Action button first made its debut on the iPhone 15 Pro and remains present on the iPhone 18 Pro. However, the leak suggests that starting in the second half of 2027, new iPhones will begin shipping without the dedicated Action button. Instead, the Camera Control would take on a dual role: a single press would launch the Camera app, while a long press would activate whatever shortcut the user has assigned to the Action button. Notably, the tipster emphasizes that it is the Action button being phased out—the camera key itself is here to stay.
The Weibo post does not specify which iPhone models would be affected by this change, leaving it ambiguous whether the merged button would arrive across the entire fall lineup or be limited to select variants. Regardless, the underlying message is clear: Apple appears to be looking at eliminating a hardware button while preserving the customizable functionality users have come to expect.
This rumor arrives alongside earlier reports suggesting that next year's Pro iPhones could undergo a significant redesign, with prototypes reportedly being tested that feature quad-curved displays. It remains unknown whether the alleged button consolidation is connected to that broader overhaul.
Source (in Chinese)
