Am I the only one who doesn't like on screen buttons?

[jidery]

Side bezzles keep getting smaller, but top and bottom bezzles still exist and have plenty of room for buttons. We have these 5 inch phones but the effective screen real estate is lowered thanks to these buttons. Why is it that on screen buttons are chosen when there is clearly room for physical or touch sensitive buttons on the bottom of the phones?

 

[dguy6789]

You have it backwards. On screen buttons allow the screen to be where physical buttons normally would be so that in scenarios where the buttons aren't needed the display can be larger.

 

[corkyg]

Hardware buttons cannot be changed, and they require steps in manufacturing. On screen buttons can be easily changed with software updates, and the hardware fabrication does not have to be changed. All relates to cost.

 

[bearxor]

I dislike on screen and capacitive buttons. I have to be too careful of how I pick up the phone or where I hold it when I'm using it. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally hit the search button on my Lumia 920 when I was just trying to rotate the phone in my hand. Or how many times I'd accidentally brush the home key on my Galaxy Nexus when reaching for some button while playing a game.

I'm extremely happy with the single physical home button on the iPhone.

 

[dawheat]

You have it backwards. On screen buttons allow the screen to be where physical buttons normally would be so that in scenarios where the buttons aren't needed the display can be larger.

This historically hasn't been the case. Samsung phones have regularly had smaller bezels than average with each generation. So with competitors having similar bezels, IMO it was an advantage to "gain" screen real estate by using off screen buttons.

We seem close to the tipping point with the G2 and G Pro 2 where phones with OSB are having very small bezels, though the current Samsung phones are still competitive.

 

[Oyeve]

I think phones like the S4 and Note 3 got it right.

 

[WelshBloke]

I dislike on screen and capacitive buttons. I have to be too careful of how I pick up the phone or where I hold it when I'm using it. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally hit the search button on my Lumia 920 when I was just trying to rotate the phone in my hand. Or how many times I'd accidentally brush the home key on my Galaxy Nexus when reaching for some button while playing a game.

I'm extremely happy with the single physical home button on the iPhone.

I think I agree with you there.

I want more than one button though.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I agree with you OP, I much prefer my S4's buttons to the stock navigation bar. It is a small sacrifice of front space that most phones don't take advantage of anyway.

 

[Ravynmagi]

I also would prefer capacitive buttons over on-screen buttons. However if they are done properly. HTC has made a mess of capacitive buttons.

Fortunately I found a nice app that does a good job hiding on screen buttons with my rooted Nexus phones.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmd.hidesoftkeys

I love how Windows 8 handles things though. There are no buttons. Instead it uses a hidden charms bar that I edge swipe up to access the home, search, and other functions. And other features are hidden away with swipe gestures. Multi-tasking is done with edge swipes as well. This is nearly perfect. Since everyone is stealing UI design from everyone else, I hope Android and Apple steal this eventually.

 

[shortylickens]

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=3486


Have a blast.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I can see where they have upsides, but I can't help but begrudge them the space they're taking up when I'm just browsing or something. There are easy solutions for getting rid of them when they're not needed. I always felt like swiping from the edge of the screen to show/hide the buttons should be a default android feature though.

 

[vshah]

I also would prefer capacitive buttons over on-screen buttons. However if they are done properly. HTC has made a mess of capacitive buttons.

Fortunately I found a nice app that does a good job hiding on screen buttons with my rooted Nexus phones.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmd.hidesoftkeys

I love how Windows 8 handles things though. There are no buttons. Instead it uses a hidden charms bar that I edge swipe up to access the home, search, and other functions. And other features are hidden away with swipe gestures. Multi-tasking is done with edge swipes as well. This is nearly perfect. Since everyone is stealing UI design from everyone else, I hope Android and Apple steal this eventually.

look into PIE controls, its basically the same thing for android.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

You have it backwards. On screen buttons allow the screen to be where physical buttons normally would be so that in scenarios where the buttons aren't needed the display can be larger.

Yes but it's only in a few cases like video or games. In other scenarios where you're browsing the web or tweeting, it doesn't make sense. Before someone brings up PIE controls, they're more a novelty item and a gimmick. Sure it can be used but it's not the easiest to use. You might find it easy, but I can guarantee you an enthusiast who's familiar with their phone can hit the soft home button faster than you can bring up your PIE controls. Plus, it's just not a real mainstream solution.

But here's the thing about on screen buttons and phones. We still have bezel (Nexus 4, Nexus 5). That space, if it were Samsung, would've been used for the two capacitive buttons + home button. In such a case, I'd have the full screen for viewing and not lose 7.5% of it to buttons.

Furthermore, let me emphasize that the home button is nice on Samsung phones in that it's a button you can hit to wake up your phone on the front side. You don't have to pick the phone up to find the home button, and it's not as awkward as sticking a finger on the side to wake the phone (that action likely takes another finger to hold the phone to prevent it from sliding). Tapping the home button was a nice way to wake the screen up for me to check notifications.

 

[Ravynmagi]

look into PIE controls, its basically the same thing for android.

I tried PIE controls, but found it a bit more difficult to use, because I had to swipe and select an action in the same motion. And for me I ended up hitting wrong things. Autohide requires a swipe up and then a tap, it's an extra motion, but it's easier for me.

 

[stlc8tr]

Fortunately I found a nice app that does a good job hiding on screen buttons with my rooted Nexus phones.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmd.hidesoftkeys

Try GravityBox. It offers a ton of tweaks including immersive mode which lets you hide the notification bar, the nav keys, or both.

 

[Red Storm]

Hardware buttons on a small bezel = a bezel that can't be used to hold the phone comfortably or a lot of accidental back and menu taps.

On screen buttons are teh best! You can even root and make them gesture based so they stay hidden. Best of both worlds.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Furthermore, let me emphasize that the home button is nice on Samsung phones in that it's a button you can hit to wake up your phone on the front side. You don't have to pick the phone up to find the home button, and it's not as awkward as sticking a finger on the side to wake the phone (that action likely takes another finger to hold the phone to prevent it from sliding). Tapping the home button was a nice way to wake the screen up for me to check notifications.

Amen!!!

 

[Ravynmagi]

Samsung's physical button is nice. However I think I'd like to see the knock on glass to wake feature that LG and Nokia are using (does the Moto X have this too?).

 

[tsupersonic]

On screen buttons suck. They take up valuable space on the screen, it really annoys me! I much prefer a physical home button, a back/mutitask capacitive button. To people who says they can change on-screen buttons - come on, Android 4.x has the same button structure - home/back/multitask.

 

[Rdmkr]

For rooted phones I'm not bothered by them much; their customizability is an advantage. I just wish the firmware designers would wise up and offer the ability to shrink, auto-hide, re-map or gesture-replace them as a default feature for people who don't want their warranty voided.

Also, samsung is pretty much the only company that ever does capacitive buttons right.

 

[bearxor]

I think I agree with you there.

I want more than one button though.

I'm fine with that. It's one of the reasons I kind of like the Lumia 710.

But I'll take a single physical button over zero at this point. I do like how the iPhone home button basically blends in to the face of the phone now.

 

[ChronoReverse]

Samsung's layout is my favorite. My next phone is extremely unlikely to be a Samsung though and it really bothers me that I won't have my physical button and capacitives (all of which I can remap too so onscreen buttons aren't any advantage and I can have them at the same time too if I wanted).

 

[Bateluer]

Done correctly, on screen buttons are what you want. Done poorly, the phone appears to have a massive 'inch' long bottom bezel. Seems like only the Nexus line can do the on screen buttons right, And the Moto X/G. The Moto RAZRs ended up with a massive bottom bezel due to the Verizon logo.

The physical buttons used in the Galaxy S/Note line are just chintzy and should be scrapped asap. Leaked images of HTC's replacement for the One have it with on screen buttons, but possibly also a black bar for the HTC logo, similar to how the current One model is, but without the capacitive buttons. Complete waste of space if that's the final revision.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Done correctly, on screen buttons are what you want. Done poorly, the phone appears to have a massive 'inch' long bottom bezel. Seems like only the Nexus line can do the on screen buttons right, And the Moto X/G. The Moto RAZRs ended up with a massive bottom bezel due to the Verizon logo.

The physical buttons used in the Galaxy S/Note line are just chintzy and should be scrapped asap. Leaked images of HTC's replacement for the One have it with on screen buttons, but possibly also a black bar for the HTC logo, similar to how the current One model is, but without the capacitive buttons. Complete waste of space if that's the final revision.

Nexus 4 has a bigger bottom bezel than the GS3. Plus, the soft buttons themselves act like a virtual bezel. The only way to do on screen buttons "right" given how Samsung does the GS4 is to have close to zero bezel.

 

[Jodell88]

I'll take on screen buttons or a capacitive gesture area ala WebOS over physical or capacitive buttons any day.