What do you think of phones having no physical buttons? (i.e. Home and back buttons)

[valnation]

I hate it.
The move of having home and back buttons on a screen annoy me.
Physical buttons are easier to press.
If phone manufacturers wanted more screen real estate they should have just moved buttons to the side of the phone like the power and the volume buttons.

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

It depends to me. I don't dislike phones with physical buttons like the iPhone or Samsung phones. But I do think that it is probably better just to have onscreen buttons on the front of the device. It allows for a larger screen. And with software, those navigation controls can be changed.

 

[valnation]

Yeah I guess it's personal preference and most people prefer the larger screen nowadays.
Though the extra screen space you get would be mostly used for showing software buttons to replace the hardware buttons you lost.

 

[WeAreAllUnique]

Yeah I guess it's personal preference and most people prefer the larger screen nowadays.
Though the extra screen space you get would be mostly used for showing software buttons to replace the hardware buttons you lost.

Which is fine as long as they disappear when I'm watching movies or playing games.

 

[valnation]

Which is fine as long as they disappear when I'm watching movies or playing games.

The thing is with that is when it disappears when you're watching a movie you'd have to tap on the screen to get the buttons to show up again. Then tap the back button to exit the movie.
While on the other hand a physical button all you would need to do is press the back button once and you exit.

 

[dpham00]

I like having a physical button simply because you can turn the screen on with it. When laying on the desk, you can use one finger to turn on. Without the physical home button, you would have to press the power button, which usually can't be done with one finger, or use knock knock like lg, which isn't perfect in my usage, or use some kind of motion to turn on the screen, which is annoying to me.

Plus when pulling out of the pocket, I can press the home button to turn on the screen easily. Some phones will turn it on by sensor but it is not always perfect.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[valnation]

Remember the older days when all the buttons were physical.
On the nokia 5110 you could text someone without even looking at the screen.
It made texting while driving an easier task lol. Which shouldn't be encouraged.

 

[DJantel Ware]

I also hate software buttons. I like to have the haptic feedback. And I do not like the fact that there are phones with no menu button at all (no hardware but also no software button). Even worse would be if they decided to leave out the back button. I had to deal with an Iphone today, it is really annoying to scroll up all the time to see the "back" link at the top just to be able to go one menu back. Horrible.

 

[anon8380037]

You're singing my song.

I hope touch screen only devices is a phase technology is going through. I think they will have to bring back more ergonomic designs when they can fold hd screens and incorporate 5 way wheels and switches on the sides.

I also like what Yota are trying to do with a second ink screen on the back.

I still want a new version of my Sony Ericsson P910i.

We had a thread running about old phones we loved.

 

[valnation]

I totally agree.
There were more varieties of phone form factors 10 years ago. Flip phone, slide phones, swivel etc. Now they all look the same.
I was also a Sony Ericsson fan. They had so many different types of phones before.
My favourite was Sony Ericsson W600. It was a swivel phone. I still have it though I bricked it when I was trying to customise the ROM

 

[valnation]

Ive also seen that Yota phone with the second e ink screen. Other companies should be innovating like them.
I also thought that samsung phone with the pico projector built in was a good innovation. Its a pity no one got in to them.

 

[Mooncatt]

I was concerned about losing physical screen buttons when I got my M8, but I've come to like it. At least their implementation of it. My biggest concern was response lag, but that seems to be a non-issue now compared to my last phones.

I don't know how true this is, but I saw someone once mention they think it's better for durability. They believed the touch screen would typically outlast the physical buttons. There may be some sense to that, but you also don't have to worry about dust and stuff gumming up a physical button when they're part of the screen.

It's my personal preference that the trade offs are worth it now that I've used the M8. Combine that with the knock on and tap off functions, and it works quite well.

 

[Morq]

Not having physical buttons was annoying at the beginnig, but I did grow used to it and not giving it much thought anymore.

 

[osallent]

I personally think buttons on the back of the device and buttons on the screen itself, like LG has, are the future as it allows for phones a 5.5 inch screen with the same footprint of traditional side button phones with a 5 inch screen.

Plus once LG brings out phones with the new almost bezeless design that they are developing, it will be possible to have phones with a 6 inch screen that are no bigger than most 5.2 inch screen phones today. I think they have the right ideas.

That being said, I'm glad my Sony Xperia Z3 still has a dedicated camera button, even though I know that eventually all buttons must go except for power and volume button in the back, and bezels have to get thinner so we all can enjoy 6 inch screen phones in the future that feel like the 5 inch screen phones of today.

Post made possible by Sony Xperia Z3 via the Android Central App

 

[Mooncatt]

Thinner bezels = more erroneous touches from the palm of my hand when using one handed, plus greater risk of screen damage if dropped.

 

[Edward Alejandro Medina]

Y like software buttons on android devices, i like the extra screen space

 

[poodoogames]

I don't really like it. I used to have an HTC desire with buttons, then i upgraded to an s3 which just has the home button. I think I prefer it to the desire. But phones/tablets without any buttons sucks. At least have the home button.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I have grown to like onscreen buttons. Since I root my devices, I am allowed to change at will the layout, order and which buttons are on the Navigation bar.

I think even the G3 allows this without rooting.

 

[soundmaven]

I also like the feedback of hardware buttons, even though I realize that software ones allows for a larger screen space and customization.

 

[tedmingo]

I love the idea of no buttons on the side. My galaxy note 4 is always turning on in my pocket for no reason. You have to hold it very carefully to not turn it on.