Tag Action

Although it might not be as prominent as Touch ID, the notch, or the more recent Dynamic Island, the physical mute switch has become one of the most loved features of the iPhone right from day one. It is one of those small features that proved just how attentive Apple was to the little details that significantly improved the lives of their customers. After more than a decade in service, that switch was eventually replaced by the Action button in the iPhone 15 Pro models this year, but of course, that isn’t the end of the story. According to sources, next year’s iPhones will have an even more talented Action Button and best of all, it will be available on all models right off the bat.

Designer: Apple (via MacRumors)

The physical mute switch delivered peace of mind by letting iPhone users switch from ring to silent mode and vice-versa with a literal flick of a switch, saving you from stress and embarrassment in times when your phone shouldn’t be audible. Presuming you know what the current sound mode is, you don’t even need to look at the switch’s position to push it. You can do it while your iPhone is still in your pocket, and no one will be the wiser.

There might be some fans who are sad to it go, but that switch has ascended to become a button. It can now do more than just switch to silent mode since it can be mapped to some actions, hence its name. Apple had some ambitious plans for the Action Button, but the lack of time meant it had to make do with a simple physical button and limit it to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. But now that the cat is out of the bag, it is free to push forward with its original plans.

Although nothing’s set in stone yet, Apple might change the Action Button from a mechanical button to a capacitive one with force sensitivity. This is similar to the technology used in the previous Touch ID home button as well as the Force Touch trackpad on MacBooks. This revamped Action Button would be able to distinguish between a simple press, a long press, and a hard press, so you’d be able to assign at least two actions to the same button (long press is set to switching between ring and silent by default).

The exact implementation details are, of course, still up in the air, but it would be a very big improvement over the current basic implementation. Even better, those same sources claim that this new Action Button will make its way to all iPhone 16 models, both the standard and Pro models, so there wouldn’t be a need for envious buyers. Again, all of these are still unofficial, so Apple could still pull the plug from the plan if it doesn’t deem the feature to be ready by the time it locks down the iPhone 16 features next year.

Although Kandao has built its reputation on high-end VR filming gear and conferencing equipment, its more popular sellers have always been consumer-facing gadgets like the QooCam range. The company’s latest offering in the series is the QooCam 3, a tiny handheld 360° action camera designed to butt heads with the GoPro Max and the Insta360 X3. With a $349 price tag, the QooCam 3 stuns its competitors with a 1/1.55” sensor and an f1.6 aperture that allows for more light to pass through, helping the camera capture more detail with less light. The result, 360° video at resolutions of up to 5.7K or regular action-camera-style videos at 4K. Oh, and spatial audio to match your spatial videos too!

Designer: Kandao

With its two 1/1.55 inch sensors, the QooCam 3 surpasses the Insta360 X3’s 1/2″ and the GoPro Max’s 1/2.3″ sensors. This, coupled with its impressive maximum lens aperture of f1.6 (compared to the X3’s f1.9 and the Max’s f2.8), greatly enhances its ability to reduce noise and deliver exceptional performance in low-light conditions. The QooCam 3 is capable of capturing 360° video at a maximum resolution of 5.7K@30fps or regular video at 4K@60fps. Additionally, it can produce stunning 62 MP panoramic photos and record 360° 4-channel spatial audio in Ambisonic format, allowing users to focus the audio based on their desired framing direction.

The QooCam 3 shares a remarkable resemblance with the GoPro Max in terms of its physical appearance, although it is slightly bigger and heavier. It has the ability to be submerged in water up to a depth of 10 meters or 33 feet, and its IP68 rating ensures that it is resistant to both dust and water, making it suitable for various action-packed and adventurous situations. On the software level, though, the QooCam 3 shares quite a few similarities with the Insta360 X3, like the invisible selfie stick (the stick doesn’t appear in 360° videos), post-production reframing, video stabilization, automatic horizon leveling, and time-lapse wizardry. Kandao sweetens the deal with a mobile app for creative editing and seamless social media sharing, along with a desktop application for the more advanced post-production enthusiasts.

It seems like Kandao has its sights on the 360° action camera market, with a pretty affordable $349 price tag, undercutting even the GoPro Max by a solid $50. The QooCam 3 is available on Kandao’s website, although it should hit Amazon stores soon too.