Apple removed these 4 iPhone features forever

The iPhone has become a symbol of the touchscreen smartphone era, but along the way, Apple has abandoned several iconic elements. Some of them were accepted by users painlessly, while others still cause nostalgia and controversy.

SlashGear writes about it.

The home button

The Home button once formed a recognizable look for the iPhone. First introduced in 2007, it served as a "portal" to the home screen, took screenshots, called Siri, and even restarted the device in case of a freeze.

The introduction of Touch ID in 2013 turned the button into a fingerprint scanner, making it easier to unlock and verify Apple Pay. However, with the transition to Face ID and bezel-less displays, the physical button gave way — it was last seen in the iPhone 8/8 Plus flagships, and the iPhone SE line said goodbye to it with the release of the iPhone 16e.

Ring/silent switch

Another signature element was the side-mounted ring/silent switch, which was easy to find even in the darkness of the cinema hall.

Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple replaced it with a programmable Action Button, and in the iPhone 16 family, it completely abandoned the switch. Now, by long pressing the same button, you can activate silent mode or assign other scenarios: launching the camera, flashlight, or focus mode.

Lightning port

The sunset of the Lightning era came under pressure from EU regulators. The port, which in 2012 replaced the bulky 30-pin connector and became universal for most Apple devices, gave way to USB-C in iPhone 15 and later models.

It makes it easier to charge gadgets from different brands with a single cable and provides faster speeds at the same voltage. The USB-C-to-Lightning adapter allows you to use your old cords, but it makes more sense to sell, donate, or recycle them.

The notch

After the disappearance of the Home button, the famous "notch" appeared on the iPhone X screen — the notch that hid the front camera and Face ID sensors.

It was slightly reduced in the iPhone 13, and in the iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max, it was replaced by the oval Dynamic Island notch. Although the latter does not radically change the appearance, it integrates live notifications: from navigation to music control.

Previously, we reported that smartphone batteries degrade over time, and new features like Apple Intelligence may further reduce battery life. Small tweaks to settings and daily habits can help extend your iPhone's usage throughout the day.

We also explained how an iPhone with NFC support can do more than process Apple Pay purchases — it can automate daily tasks using a few tags and a simple setup in the Shortcuts app.