Button Layout Makes No Sense

[charlie310]

One main thing I noticed with Moto Droid phones is the unintuitive button layout.

Logically, it would make sense to make the most often used button near your thumb. Why do they always make the power & screen on/off button on top? Who the hell uses their volume rockers more than the power button? I, personally, pres the volume rockers like 10 times a week (when I go jogging), and I press the power button over 150 times a week.

That is all. I know some of you may think I'm being too picky. I just think that they could have switched the placement of the volume rockers and power button without much effort, and the phone would have been so much easier to use (or the best layout would be power on right side, volume on left). It bothers me that someone was paid a lot of money to come up with the current button layout.

 

[Lars]

Samsung tried the power button on the side. It's an epic fail if you have a case. holding the phone by the sides causes it to shut off during calls.

 

[tofizzle]

The way I hold the phone, the power button is in the perfect spot. I'm used to pressing it with my index finger and having it on top makes it very convenient for me.

 

[&roid]

I, personally, pres s the volume rockers like 10 times a week (when I go jogging), and I press the power button over 150 times a week.

I'm assuming you use the power button more to wake up your phone..... Did you know that the volume buttons also wake up the phone too?

 

[Kelmar]

Samsung tried the power button on the side. It's an epic fail if you have a case. holding the phone by the sides causes it to shut off during calls.

To each there own. Personally, that's one of the things I love about my Samsungs (and the screen) and why I didn't swap to the Bionic when it was released.

No issues with it being on a case either.

... And having options is the best thing about Android!!

 

[LrdAnkh]

It doesn't matter where they laced in on the phone there will always be somebody not happy with its placement.

 

[Reverence]

I'm assuming you use the power button more to wake up your phone..... Did you know that the volume buttons also wake up the phone too?

Do they? I just tried pressing my volume buttons and they didn't wake up the phone. Is there some setting that I am missing to allow this?

 

[AurJohn]

Do they? I just tried pressing my volume buttons and they didn't wake up the phone. Is there some setting that I am missing to allow this?

+1

 

[bigbabys]

Do they? I just tried pressing my volume buttons and they didn't wake up the phone. Is there some setting that I am missing to allow this?

I think WidgetLocker can do it, but AFAIK the stock lockscreen is only awoken by pressing the power key.

And for what it's worth I would HATE a lock button on the side. The top is and will always be the best for me. The only thing better would be a technology to sense when I want my phone to unlock and it does it for me.

 

[messenger13]

I came from the OG Droid ... had if for almost two years. It took me all of about 12 minutes to "get use to" the new button layout of the Bionic. Love it.

 

[amageus]

What I hate is how they moved the power button on the opposite side of where the OG Droid had it's power button. I find myself always trying to hit the old power location and release there's no button there LOL.

 

[&roid]

I think WidgetLocker can do it, but AFAIK the stock lockscreen is only awoken by pressing the power key.

And for what it's worth I would HATE a lock button on the side. The top is and will always be the best for me. The only thing better would be a technology to sense when I want my phone to unlock and it does it for me.

Maybe it's a side effect of LauncherPro that I use, I don't remember how it acted out of the box because I loaded LauncherPro as soon as I got in the parking lot after purchasing it, but even when I go back to stock BLUR using Home Switcher for Froyo, the volume keys still wake up the screen. Droid Bionic screen wakeup using volume keys - YouTube

 

[CKwik240]

I do wonder if the placed the button on the upper left with some thought with how the phone fits in the docks. With my old DX, I accidentally hit the power button quite often while docked. This is no longer the case for me. That said, the button placement is fine for normal use as well. Its a lot easier to reach it with my index finger than it was on the DX.

 

[bigbabys]

Maybe it's a side effect of LauncherPro that I use, I don't remember how it acted out of the box because I loaded LauncherPro as soon as I got in the parking lot after purchasing it, but even when I go back to stock BLUR using Home Switcher for Froyo, the volume keys still wake up the screen. Droid Bionic screen wakeup using volume keys - YouTube

It appears your phone doesn't have a lockscreen? Do you use NoLock by any chance? Your phone isn't technically locking so maybe thats why your volume rockers work.

 

[&roid]

It appears your phone doesn't have a lockscreen? Do you use NoLock by any chance? Your phone isn't technically locking so maybe thats why your volume rockers work.

Yes I do use NO LOCK..... forgot about that one

 

[HotDawg]

I came from the OG Droid ... had if for almost two years. It took me all of about 12 minutes to "get use to" the new button layout of the Bionic. Love it.

^ This, exactly.


Except - I still cannot get used to the menu button switcheroo.

 

[amageus]

^ This, exactly.


Except - I still cannot get used to the menu button switcheroo.

I actually like the where the menu button is cause I would always hit the back button way too much by accident. However I've gotten used to it's location that my fingers still hit the menu button instead of the back button.

 

[UncleMike]

^ This, exactly.


Except - I still cannot get used to the menu button switcheroo.

That's my biggest complaint about the bionic - changing the soft key locations from the OG Droid. Aside from just being used to the original layout, I think the original layout makes more sense. After almost 4 weeks I still find myself pressing the menu button instead of the app drawer icon because icons are unfamiliar to me. Why can't they just make a consistent interface?