Why the hate for hardware buttons?

[trale]

My previous phone was a Droid X, and now the S3. I actually miss the hardware buttons from the DX.

Apparently there's a lot of hate for having physical buttons on a smartphone, which I don't get. They provide the response speed, tactile feedback, and feeling of assuredness that soft-keys simply can't match.

Can anyone explain this anti-hard-keys trend on phones? Google themselves is discouraging their use on new phones. Is it simply because they lower the "sleekness" of a phone? Or are there real downsides besides the visual aspect?

 

[manesag]

My previous phone was a Droid X, and now the S3. I actually miss the hardware buttons from the DX.

Apparently there's a lot of hate for having physical buttons on a smartphone, which I don't get. They provide the response speed, tactile feedback, and feeling of assuredness that soft-keys simply can't match.

Can anyone explain this anti-hard-keys trend on phones? Google themselves is discouraging their use on new phones. Is it simply because they lower the "sleekness" of a phone? Or are there real downsides besides the visual aspect?

Simple enough is that they can break. Some people with iphones (for an easy example) have to use the included accesibility home button because theirs broke

 

[funkylogik]

Theyre just so oldschool, mechanical. I dont like the physical home button.
I do prefer the capacitive buttons over the nexus-style on screen ones though until we get a phone with true edge to edge display

 

[Stuntman]

I find that the home button on the S3 to be very handy when waking the phone when it is on my car mount. It is much easier to push into the phone than to grip both sides of the phone to press the power button.

 

[funkylogik]

True, i use the home button to wake the phone usualy too
Could a capacitive button do the same job without wasting battery power?

 

[Stuntman]

True, i use the home button to wake the phone usualy too
Could a capacitive button do the same job without wasting battery power?

The Nokia N9 does not have a physical home button. To wake it, you double tap the screen. This feature will also be available on an upcoming update for the Lumina 920.

The BlackBerry Z10 does not have a physical home button either. To wake it, you swipe from off the screen to across the screen.

 

[jhawkkw]

They break, and they eat up space on the device that could be used for the screen. At least with the software buttons, I can run a custom rom that let's me remove them to use all the screen. Can't do that with hardware or capacitive buttons.

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah capacitive nav' buttons are fine as long as theyre using up bezel space that would already be there. if the bezel has to be noticably bigger to acommodate them then thats not good

 

[rushmore]

I like the button since provides more display space for apps and another input besides power button to wake the device. A fixed nav bar on a small display is IMO pure and utter stupid.

 

[trale]

They break, and they eat up space on the device that could be used for the screen. At least with the software buttons, I can run a custom rom that let's me remove them to use all the screen. Can't do that with hardware or capacitive buttons.

Okay I can buy most of that. How common is a button breaking through? I've not encountered any instances of this, in person or in forums. I've seen plenty instances of cracked glass though. So much for "gorilla glass".

Well if phone makers do start eliminating buttons, I better start seeing some bezel-less phones in the near future.

 

[mrhomiec]

on iPhones, almost every person i know who's had an iPhone had a broken home button over time. the dust and lint just clogs it up over time.

i personally had several devices with home buttons and they never broke.
* first iPad - 4 years
* first iPod touch - 4 years
* fourth iPod touch - 2 years
* HTC Eris - 2 years
* Galaxy S3 - almost a year

maybe just keep in mind what you are keeping next to your phone, whether in your pocket or bags, or the environment it's in on your desk or wherever.

 

[jhawkkw]

Okay I can buy most of that. How common is a button breaking through? I've not encountered any instances of this, in person or in forums. I've seen plenty instances of cracked glass though. So much for "gorilla glass".

Well if phone makers do start eliminating buttons, I better start seeing some bezel-less phones in the near future.

I know it happened to a friend's Droid X, but not to me personally. I tend to not own a phone long enough to really break it down

Another issue with some models is spilling something into the crevices of the button like soda and thus making it sticky.

 

[funkylogik]

Lol very good point mate
I remember having to vacuum the physical buttons on old phones to make em work but manufacturing processes are probably far better now and the internals of the physical button are probably sealed.
To me though, thats oldskool tech' n im a geek born in the 70s lol, i want magical buttons that work without movement and dont destroy the look/cleanliness of a self contained pocket computer

 

[arparaspolo]

I feel that there should always be a dedicated camera button. Even if you remap the lock key to take a photo when the camera app is up and running. I hate having to guess when trying to take a photo with me in it.

 

[funkylogik]

I used to feel that way because i used to always use Sony phones and they always had the shutter key/hard shortcut to camera but ive got used to usin the on-screen shutter button. I like how the hardware buttons are "two step" but the soft one is kinda the same.. puttin your thumb on it is like pushin a hardware button half way down, removing your thumb is like pushing it all the way in. I also think you get less camera shake with on screen button. Im not a big photographer by any means though lol, i rarely use the camera

 

[Gomjaba]

I personally hate the touch sensitive buttons on the S3. I cannot count how often I accidentally touched them when watching a movie or playing a game. 'Back' being the obvious annoyance #1

 

[Hadron]

A read a post elsewhere where someone said that what they disliked was the inconsistency: light touch for 2 buttons but a solid press for the third. I think I'd cope, but people vary.

My ancient phone (3 years) has all hardware buttons. Still working, but home and search are becoming a bit baulky - search is odd as I barely use it (maybe it gets pressed in my pocket?).

 

[Gomjaba]

Interesting how many people can't really wait for the latest and greated, sell / buy a new phone every year or hope for early upgrades, but at the same time they don't like stuff which might break in the long run .. who cares - you sell it after 6-112 months anyway

haha ..

 

[Stuntman]

I feel that there should always be a dedicated camera button. Even if you remap the lock key to take a photo when the camera app is up and running. I hate having to guess when trying to take a photo with me in it.

I really liked the camera shutter button on my old HTC Desire Z. You can do a half press to focus and then press it all the way to capture the image. Pressing the screen tends to tilt the phone away from where you want to aim it if you are not careful. My only criticism of the DZ is that the button is a little stiff for my liking.

With my SGS3, I can voice actions to take a picture. I have to be rather close to the phone to use the voice actions I find. Not sure if I can mount my phone, run across the room and then use voice actions to take a picture. I haven't tried that yet.

 

[rushmore]

They break, and they eat up space on the device that could be used for the screen. At least with the software buttons, I can run a custom rom that let's me remove them to use all the screen. Can't do that with hardware or capacitive buttons.

Space is space, so if a button or a nav bar- no difference. An example is the S3 and the Razr HD. Similar size and the HD has the same size display as the older Razr- due to the nav bar taking up .4" of diagonal space. It is IMO annoying to lose the space and easier to press when playing games.

Now, if the option is to open the nav bar when needed- now we are getting somewhere This is a reason I prefer my iPad 4 over my Android devices. The display space is not taken up.

To each their own!

 

[jhawkkw]

Now, if the option is to open the nav bar when needed- now we are getting somewhere This is a reason I prefer my iPad 4 over my Android devices. The display space is not taken up.

Indeed, but that is one benefit of some custom roms. You can have the option disable or enable the nav bar on the fly as an option in power menu that you bring up by holding the power button. Or you can disable them all together and use pie controls. I personally prefer the first option. But I do understand your argument and is quite accurate.

 

[Blacklight82]

I prefer hardware buttons. That's what I loved about the Droid Charge. I hate accidentally pressing the back/menu capacitive buttons while watching videos.

 

[tech_noob]

personally I don't have a hate for the buttons. they are quite useful actually. I've recently stopped using mine though and put the nexus soft keys on my s3 which really aren't in the way like I pictured they would be before enabling. more of style preference for me, trying something new.

nexus sized phone with nexus based roms, why not try the buttons lol (off topic)

but as for a answer to the question, my opinion would be it's just personal preference.

 

[rushmore]

Key consensus seems to be that Google should give the OPTION in the OS so users can decide. My guess is more than not would choose to hide the bar and use when needed- kind of like the iPhone & iPad.