With the iPhone 16 Pro, the big announcement was the camera and Apple Intelligence. The problem is, Apple Intelligence isn’t here yet. You can test some features in the developer beta, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get them when the update is released in October. So our focus is on iOS 18 (more on the beta here) and the hardware changes.
The big hardware change is the camera button. But it’s not just any button: Located on the right side of the device, it now has touch and pressure sensors for better control with swipes and half-presses. (This is in addition to the action button that’s still found on the left edge of the iPhone.)
Engadget
The intention was (and will eventually be) to let you trigger focus with a light press of the button, similar to half-pressing the shutter button on a DSLR. Unfortunately, that functionality won’t be available at launch. You can swipe the button to tweak exposure, zoom levels, and tone, while a half-press also lets you select options in the new camera control interface or exit menus.
But without Apple Intelligence features at launch, the iPhone 16 Pro looks more like an incremental update than other years — but if you’ve held off on an upgrade for a year or two, the camera improvements (and eventually AI features) might be appealing.
Matt Smith
The biggest news you may have missed
Magnetic JoyCon?
X/Andy Robinson
Recent rumors suggest that the design will be quite similar to the original Switch, with photos of the console spotted by VGC surfacing online, showing an 8-inch screen and magnetic Joy-Con controllers that appear to have SL/SR buttons and a player LED on the front.
We’ve compiled it all into a collection of rumors and leaks, read on for more details.
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The lawsuit seeks class action status.
Five anonymous participants of YouTuber MrBeast’s Beast Games filed a lawsuit against MrBeast and Amazon, which plans to stream the show, on September 16th, and are also seeking class-action status. The game show is roughly Squid Game-style, with participants battling various challenges for a $5 million prize, and one winner is selected from 1,000 participants.
The five cited poor working conditions, abuse and harassment. Among the 14 complaints were non-payment of minimum wage, sexual harassment, false advertising and failure to provide breaks and meal breaks. When the five arrived on-site, they discovered that instead of a total of 1,000 contestants, far more people were taking part in the contest to win the cash prize, making it less likely they would be crowned the winner. According to The New York Times, the total number of contestants was around 2,000, and Mr.Beast said that was the plan from the beginning.
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Batteries are now easier to replace and components are much easier to replace.
Apple has released new repairability updates for the iPhone 16, and these appear to address issues around battery replacement and “parts pairing”. The company says it has put special emphasis on the repairability aspects of its latest devices. There is a whole new, and possibly easier, way to remove the battery. If you run a low-voltage current through the new ionic liquid battery adhesive (for example, with a 9V cell), the battery will naturally detach from the housing. Starting with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, Apple has also made changes to the Face ID sensor hardware. Now, you can swap the TrueDepth camera from one unit to another without compromising security or privacy. Previously, only Apple was able to do this kind of repair.
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