What are the downsides of on-screen smartphone buttons?

[tunic330]

I have been looking at new and upcoming android smartphones for a few months now. There seems to phones with on-screen buttons and physical ones. I currently own a Huawei Ascend G740 (it's cr4ppy!) which has capasitive buttons. Now they're broken, but when they were working I enjoyed using them. My father owns an LG G5 which has on screen buttons. To make it appear you need to swipe up, and that seems rather cumbersome. Are there other downsides? Are on-screen buttons a deal breaker?

 

[VZWsucks]

I think the on- screen buttons just makes better presentation and brings sleekness and technology to the phone.
I don't have a real answer but, that's my assumption.

I haven't had any downsides with the on-screen buttons.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I would say that one of the major downsides of physical buttons is the higher risk of malfunction, just as you experienced on your Ascend.

Having to swipe up a little to get the onscreen nav buttons only happens in certain situations (like when you're in an app that takes advantage of immersion mode, which means that the nav buttons go away). It's a very subtle swipe up that's required, so it's hardly an issue.