Apple accidentally revealed the difference in iPhone 16

Before iOS 18 was officially released, it was considered the biggest update Apple had ever made. This was indeed proven through the company's keynote at its developer conference - WWDC 2024, where it provided a lot of information about the upcoming mobile operating system, from changes to fundamental improvements to the way Apple devices work.

This was discovered based on the developer beta version of iOS 18 that Apple is currently rolling out to those who want to experience it early. Among the features discovered, the most notable is the subtle change that Apple has made to the user interface (UI), specifically the screen right next to the surrounding bezels of the iPhone. When pressing either of the volume buttons, the bezels will protrude inward towards the center of the screen, giving users a visual indicator of which button is being pressed.

While this may seem like a minor cosmetic change, it does echo previous rumors surrounding the iPhone 15 Pro. Previous rumors suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro would be the first iPhone to ditch the two physical volume buttons. While this didn't happen due to "technical issues that were not resolved before mass production," it was carried over to the iPhone 16 Pro. The switch from physical to touch buttons is said to increase the durability of the iPhone while also freeing up internal space.

New tweaks in iOS 18 suggest the upcoming iPhone 16 series could feature a unified volume button with separate haptic feedback for volume up/down.