Hard button(s), Yea or nay?

[rob damiani]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition; my first Android phone after leaving Apple and my crappy iphone 5 in the dust. I personally don't like the S4's hard button. I fond myself constantly mi****ting it. Do most Android phones have this center button? Do Android users prefer the button? No button? Or it doesn't really matter?

 

[Amia BooMaster]

Hard buttons? You mean the home button? Am I missing the point?


Anyway physical buttons give more free screen space but on the downside can possibly wear out or get broken.

Sent from my BEAST Note 3 using Tapatalk

 

[nedia_r]

I think on-screen buttons are better.

 

[rob damiani]

Yes, please see the title. "Do you prefer a hard Home button on your phone"

Hard buttons? You mean the home button? Am I missing the point?


Anyway physical buttons give more free screen space but on the downside can possibly wear out or get broken.

Sent from my BEAST Note 3 using Tapatalk

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why is that?

I think on-screen buttons are better.

 

[srkmagnus]

I really doesn't matter to me. I know a lot of people don't like it and Google is pushing on-screen buttons, which is really nice. But if the device is right and has a home button I would consider it.

 

[rob damiani]

I think I like the idea of all on screen buttons and no physical buttons. I just haven't tried any phones with that hardware. I had been iphone for the past 4 years and now I'm using the Sammy S4.

 

[JeffDenver]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition; my first Android phone after leaving Apple and my crappy iphone 5 in the dust. I personally don't like the S4's hard button. I fond myself constantly mi****ting it. Do most Android phones have this center button? Do Android users prefer the button? No button? Or it doesn't really matter?

Yeah, thats the main thing that has prevented me from getting a GPE of a Samsung phone. I love their hardware, but hate their design (including their software design...touchwiz is awful).

I know it is possible to ROM it and enable soft-NAV buttons. But there is no way to remove the hardware button. It'll always be there.

 

[JeffDenver]

I think I like the idea of all on screen buttons and no physical buttons. I just haven't tried any phones with that hardware. I had been iphone for the past 4 years and now I'm using the Sammy S4.

The thing with soft-buttons is that they are a lot easier and faster. I used to be a big critic of the soft-buttons at one time...I was annoyed that they took up screen real estate. But after using them I have found everyday navigation is just much much faster and easier. Especially for multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is just effortless on phones with soft-buttons.

 

[rob damiani]

That's what I wanted to hear, thanks.

The thing with soft-buttons is that they are a lot easier and faster. I used to be a big critic of the soft-buttons at one time...I was annoyed that they took up screen real estate. But after using them I have found everyday navigation is just much much faster and easier. Especially for multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is just effortless on phones with soft-buttons.

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Keep in mind that there isn't TouchWiz in GPE S4

Yeah, thats the main thing that has prevented me from getting a GPE of a Samsung phone. I love their hardware, but hate their design (including their software design...touchwiz is awful).

I know it is possible to ROM it and enable soft-NAV buttons. But there is no way to remove the hardware button. It'll always be there.

 

[JeffDenver]

That's what I wanted to hear, thanks.

My BF has a Galaxy S3 and never uses multi-tasking because of this. It is just easier to launch the app again normally.

 

[itic]

hard buttons are just another thing to wear out or fail.

 

[zorak950]

I used to prefer hardware buttons, because you were going to lose that screen space one way or the other: either because the screen was physically smaller to accommodate hardware buttons or because the software buttons were always eating up the space on your screen. Now that they've added Immersive Mode, though, I think soft buttons finally make sense because you can actually use that extra screen space at least some of the time.

 

[roadkizzle]

I definitely prefer the soft/capacitive buttons over the physical ones.

I really like using Android over the current competitors because of the speed and effortlessness it takes me to navigate the OS. Part of that is using SwipePad to access 16 of my most useful apps, quick call my wife, or access my app drawer without needing to press a single button.

The soft buttons require little thought while using the physical button requires me to stop my train of thought and direction of travel to press the button.

Also, the addition of the physical button normally necessitates a redesign in how to access the multitasking and/or Google Now, which I feel just detracts from the overall interface.

 

[eggantom]

I still don't have that much trust for sensors. Always better to have a button you can rely on.

 

[dpham00]

I prefer the physical button myself. Nice to actually feel the button. Multi tasking still works on my note 3 though honestly I prefer to use pie control and set it to the apps I use most

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro

 

[JeffDenver]

With soft-buttons you never have to worry about the home button wearing out or breaking. And they will adapt to whatever position you are holding the phone...the home button will never be on the top.

 

[Spencerdl]

It really doesn't matter to me. Coming from the Blackberry Z10 (no button) and now having the 5s and Note3 (button), it's just a slight adjustment. If I had the choice on the same device to choose swipe or button, I would probably go with the swipe because of the KOOL factor.....SMILE.

 

[dpham00]

With soft-buttons you never have to worry about the home button wearing out or breaking. And they will adapt to whatever position you are holding the phone...the home button will never be on the top.

I have warranty to cover the button if it wears out. I don't want the in screen buttons to be at the bottom in landscape mode.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro

 

[msndrstood]

Hardware is fine. I can find it by touch in the dark to wake up the phone. For me, that reason alone, it's worth it.

Sent via The Big, Bad, Beautiful Note 3

 

[JeffDenver]

I have warranty to cover the button if it wears out.

Well...you do for the first year anyway. Warranties are also not terribly convenient most of the time, requiring you send the phone in by mail.

I don't want the in screen buttons to be at the bottom in landscape mode.

They're not.