iPhone 16 Pro display issue sounds like Antennagate II, but isn’t

Early adopters of Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro handset are reporting issues with the touchscreen in what appears to be a software-related glitch.

Users have taken to Reddit and other public forums to complain that when accidentally touching area of the display next to the new Camera Control button, the whole display can then become unresponsive to touch.

The Camera Control button exclusive to the iPhone 16 range enables users to take photos and sweep through different camera settings without prodding at the touchscreen. The trouble is, for some users, the feature may be having an adverse affect for the times the times they actually need the touchscreen.

One user on the Reddit (via 9to5Mac) reported: “If one’s skin accidentally touches the area next to the new camera control button first, the whole screen becomes unresponsive until released, except for the home bar. This is the only area that causes the issue.”

The working theory online (Apple is yet to comment) appears to be that iOS 18 has an preventative accidental touch algorithm that’s doing its job a little too well. Videos posted to Mastodon, among other places, show the issue can be triggered if the user’s palm touches the area of the display next to the Camera Control button. That would also be backed up by reports the issue is affecting owners of older iPhones.

This makes it appear Apple will be able to fix the issue with a slight software update in the days and weeks to come. It’s not rare for new iPhone models to experience a few issues out of the box, especially because they’re also rocking brand new software.

Although there is a slight similarity, this doesn’t appear to be as big an issue as the famous Antennagate that blighted the iPhone 4 model all the way back in 2010. This caused the signal to disappear if users gripped the device around the antenna, which caused Steve Jobs to famously instruct users to just “hold it differently.”

Ironically, just “holding it differently” would probably resolve this too, but Apple is likely to be able to negate that need with a slight tweak of its software algorithm. We’ll keep you posted if and when this lands.