Apple wants its future devices to be more customizable


Apple may be planning to equip more of its devices with an ‘Action” button similar to the one in its latest iPhone models.

The Action button is now available in two high-end iPhone 15 models and the whole iPhone 16 lineup.

The Action button is customizable, allowing users to choose what they need to access quickly, such as a camera, flashlight, Shazam, Voice Memos, Translate, and more.

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A recently published patent reveals the company's plans to expand this feature to all three buttons placed on the phone's left side, making it easier for users to customize their smartphone.

The document also showed that the Action button could be introduced to other devices, such as Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches.

The document also suggests that the Action button could change how other existing buttons work. For example, it could replace the Mute button on the iPhone.

Apple patent action button
Image by Apple

Depending on how it's pressed, the button could also have several functions. For example, a short press might trigger one action, while double-clicking could prompt another.

According to the company, there's a need for "electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for providing and updating status information."

Paulius Grinkevicius Konstancija Gasaityte profile Niamh Ancell BW Gintaras Radauskas
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With customizable features, Apple is also working on new ways to provide users with updates and status information. Now, it's done through notifications and status bars.

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Even though Apple's latest iPhones are equipped with a customizable Action button, the document doesn't guarantee that these further updates will be implemented in the future.