Which feature did manufacturers remove that you still miss?

[MeshLantern]

Technology does not only add features. It takes them away too, often in the name of slimmer designs, lower costs or pushing people towards new accessories. Some removals turned out to be fine, and we quickly forgot about them. Others still annoy people years later

The headphone jack is the classic example. Apple removed it from the iPhone in 2016, and most Android makers followed. Removable batteries are another, once standard and now almost extinct, although new EU rules may bring them back. Plenty of people also miss expandable storage, infrared blasters for controlling TVs, physical keyboards on phones and notification lights. Most of these changes were justified as progress

Laptops have lost features too. USB-A ports, HDMI, SD card slots and even headphone jacks have disappeared from some models, replaced by a handful of USB-C ports and a bag full of adapters. Cars are another example, with physical buttons replaced by touchscreens, although some manufacturers are now bringing buttons back after complaints

Sometimes removals push the industry forward. Wireless headphones improved enormously once phone makers forced the issue. But it is hard not to feel that some features vanished mainly to sell more accessories

Which removed feature do you miss most? And is there any that you were glad to see go?