One big change at this year’s iPhone 15 launch event is that the mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max has been replaced with the Action button, which can also perform several additional tasks.
However, we’ve now learned that the full power of the new button won’t be realized at launch, with at least one feature – translation – not coming until “later this year”, according to Apple. (Read our hands-on iPhone 15 Pro review and hands-on iPhone 15 Pro Max review to learn more about the action button and the other new features and upgrades.)
When the iPhone 15 Pro gets into people’s hands, the Action button will still have a lot to do. It can open the camera app, record a voice memo, turn on your iPhone’s flashlight, or enable accessibility features like the magnifier. And if you want that classic iPhone feel, it can still switch your device between ringer and silent, which it does by default. To access any of the options you just need to press and hold the Action button.
However, quick translation won’t be available right away. In the section where the Action button is on the iPhone 15 Pro page on Apple’s website there’s an asterisk next to “Translate” in the list of action button options, and the fine print at the bottom of the page says that “Translate Action is coming in an update later this year.”
Translation is one of the action button features we were more excited about. While it’s always helpful to pick up at least a few key phrases before you go anywhere, it’s always helpful to have easy access to a translation tool, and it’s also helpful if you need to lend a hand to someone in your home country who that’s not. a master of the local language.
Ready, ready, action!
The one silver lining that Translate isn’t exactly an action button feature is that it suggests Apple is already thinking about ways to improve and upgrade the new Switch beyond its launch capabilities, meaning we may see other useful tools attached to the action button linked. in the near future.
Some we can already think of are launching a custom app – which provides a direct shortcut to your favorite software – or using this to make your phone listen to a song that’s playing to tell you what it is. But for now, we’ll have to wait and see what Apple has in store.
If you’re looking to pick up the iPhone 15 Pro or one of the new iPhones, pre-orders will go live on September 15, while the handsets will go on sale on September 22. See our iPhone preorders page for everything you need to know.