It's feature rationing, just like 80% Charging Limit. The camera button is literally 1 of the 2 major new features of the iPhone 16. This is especially true in most of the world where Apple hasn't launched AI.
I mean, it quite literally is, as shown by the posts you’re laughing at and unsurprisingly not rebutting. Thanks in large part to the open nature the EU is trying to force on Apple.