Why does the US version not have the physical button? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Why does the US version not have the physical button? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I absolutely hate phones that don't have at least one physical button near the thumb (a-la iPhone).
This is what originally drew my to the SGSII.
So, I've been wondering, what is the thinking behind removing it and using the 4 "touch screen" buttons in it's place?
Is there some sort of market research that states American's don't like the button?
Is that why the vast majority of Android devices only have the "touch" buttons?

They don't want to look like iPhone

^^ and make Apple's case of shameless copying against Samsung even stronger!

Is that the official/real reason?

I personally like the screen to have no holes at all, like in Optimus Black.
In my opinion the hole for home button and top speaker in phones attract dirt and maybe make the screen less stronger.
But, I wonder what happens when touching home accidentally, will it show lock screen? If it is physical button you cannot push it accidentally. It must be frustrating that the screen is always awake when home is touched.

From a UX perspective:
When I reach for my phone, I usually find the home button with my thumb and press it to turn the screen on before I can even see the screen -- so when I can finally see the screen it's ready for me to unlock.
This is how I naturally first engage with the device -- not having the physical button interrupts this process and trying to find the side with the power button isn't as natural or quick for me.

Related

[Q] Tactile stickers/decals for non-illuminated standards "android" buttons?

[Q] Tactile stickers/decals for non-illuminated standards "android" buttons?
Hello,
I find it really annoying that I can't feel or see the standard four "android" buttons at night. Has anyone found aftermarket stickers or decals that I can place over the buttons to provide some tactile feedback in the dark? I can't find anything like this anywhere.
Thanks

I like the idea of some type of vinyl decal or something. Put that on and then put a screen protector on top of it maybe... Anyway, seems like someone would make something.
I also like the idea of making them backlit.
Other people have dealt with this various ways including glueing stuff to the android buttons.
And another person superglued some tubing to the side of the tablet...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=948313
And someone else used glow in the dark puffy paint...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=12306949&postcount=9

I wish there was a mod to add some kind of LED underneath.

Or install button savior. Not as convenient, but very easy to use.

I'm using TnT Lite and it has soft buttons on the screen, which definitely are convenient. I was mainly wanting this for the tactile feel.

If we were to scratch the paint off of the back if the buttons and then punch a little hole in the seal around the screen maybe that would allow enough light to bleed through to light em up.
but what would I know. Haven't even got mine yet. :'(
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

I was at Office Max tonight and I picked up some clear hole reinforcements. These are the little sticky rings you put on paper when the punch hole has torn out but you want them to stay in the binder. Turns out they are just the right size to go over the buttons and cheap so you can mess up and put them on many times over.
The button labels are a little to the right of center. From a foot away you can't see the rings at all (probably even less if I had cleaned the tablet good before sticking them on). And you can "feel" the buttons very easily. Now on the other hand, feeling them can push them if you aren't careful. Running your finger up the screen edge (not the device edge) seems to work best.
Cheap to try and simple to reverse if you don't like it.

that idea looks like a winner to me, unless someone is making glow in the dark stickers resembling those icons

I was in a computer store the other day and saw "glow in the dark" keyboard stickers. They were in a few florescent looking colors.
Not cheap, but I was in a mood to spend money so I bought them. I figured an arrow key on the back button, the "Home" button on the home key and then use two generic keys for Menu and search.
Unfortunately, they don't really glow in the dark! They "catch" light off the monitor the keyboard is sitting in front of. Of course, on the tablets on a plane the monitor is shooting the light in the right direction. So if there is any ambient light you can see them. But if you really are in the dark, nada.
Also they look kind of tacky. Part of that is that I'm not artistic and so I didn't get them as lined up as someone crafty would. But even then they look tacky. On top of that I am now afraid to give it a good spray with cleaner. So I think they are coming off but thought I'd take a picture first.
The clear hole stickers I mentioned earlier are not very useful either because you have to "feel" them and if you feel the buttons you've pressed them so too late.
By the way the picture also shows a Skinomi screen protector on. Crystal clear except for one blemish on the far left side off the visible part of the screen
Picture is a little fuzzy but you get the idea.
http://www.myglowkeys.com/
Of course, I didn't read the FAQ online in the store (smart phone, duh). It clearly says there that they don't really glow. You'd think the packaging would have to reflect that.

My solution was to take a razor blade and make an ever so slight cut into the plastic bordering the screen. I made two, one next to the home button and one next to the back button. Now when I need to find a button in the dark I just slide my thumb down the side and feel for the nick in the plastic. The "damage" to the plastic is imperceptible and it doesn't limit the cases I can use down the line (the way gluing those buttons on the side would).

wd5gnr said:
The clear hole stickers I mentioned earlier are not very useful either because you have to "feel" them and if you feel the buttons you've pressed them so too late.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not stick them on the side next to the buttons instead over the buttons ?

Why not just get the glow in the dark stars package?

LEDs backlight for the Android keys
cobrast6 said:
I wish there was a mod to add some kind of LED underneath.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A user here modded his Gtablet (which is now my Gtablet) to include LED backlighting.
His write-up on the mod is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=899132&highlight=LEDs
- Michael

Button Savior placement
I've been pleased with using Button Savior, not for it's buttons, but for it's placement. I position it in line with the menu button, which makes it very easy to know where the Home, Menu, and Back are. Free and clean, though I do sometimes inadvertently trigger the Button Savior menu.

I would prefer a way to disable these buttons because i am always touch the search button by accident

adam714 said:
I would prefer a way to disable these buttons because i am always touch the search button by accident
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search Button Remapper on market.

[Q] How to "block" buttons backlight?

Hi, Im trying to block the backlight of the buttons in my vibrant. Those leds are really bright and using the phone at night is not comfortable.
I searched for a app to let me do this, but it appears its not possible at this time.
So the next logic step is block them with something...
Does anyone have tried using tape or something?
Maybe a screen protector with the bottom blacked out? (if it exist please point me out where to find it)
Blocking the light internally?
What have you guys done to accomplish this?

Those buttons come on when you're messing with the phone. Set the screen timeout to 15 seconds, and use ur finger until it goes off. Or you could push the power button and the screen wll go out. Why would u want to cover these buttons during use anyway tho???

crxforya said:
Those buttons come on when you're messing with the phone. Set the screen timeout to 15 seconds, and use ur finger until it goes off. Or you could push the power button and the screen wll go out. Why would u want to cover these buttons during use anyway tho???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He's not alone in wanting the capacitive button LEDs to turn off. They're simply too bright when used in complete darkness. I've been looking for a way to keep them off permanently. It's not too difficult to remember the position of 4 buttons, only 3 of which see any regular use.

I've been asking about this, and no one seems to give a rats butt about it. The best that I can offer you(advice) is to use a 2.2.1 rom, as it seems in those roms, the Softkey backlight only comes on when you touch the softkeys and not when you interact with the screen. Bi-Winning does this, and most likely all of the 2.2.1 roms do. I wish I had the patience to work with android, but I can't ever finish what I start.
Also one thing i noticed on my phone today, when I press or hold the softkeys, the one I touch turns off. So the buttons have separate LED's for each button. But I don't know if when they turn off from being pressed if that is a hardware control or a software control. Same as the Softkey lighting up when you hit a softkey.
I also made a post about why the softkey backlighting reacts different in 2.2.1 vs 2.2 but no one replied to it.

CyanogenMod 7 also has this kind of softkey behavior. They only light up when you touch then, not when you interact with the screen.

Well here's an idea but it won't look the best. You buy a screen protector like Realook. You also buy tinted 3M tape to your preference.
Now, cut a section of the tinted 3M tape so that it fits over where the buttons are. Once you have this cut out, put it on the bottom. Now, Apply the screen protector on top. It will keep it in place and dim the softkeys up to your preference.
Another perhaps easier solution: Get a normal screen protector. Mark where the touchkeys would be when applied, go on its adhesive side with a black market and black them out exactly. Then apply it normally. It will not completely block the keys but it will SEVERELY dim them. And if done carefully, should look relatively good.
If you are that set on doing it, it's an option. Another option is physically opening the phone to the point where you find the diodes that lit these keys and putting the 3M tinted tape there. That WILL look proffesional but is a rather involved process.
Choice is yours. I don't think any programs or ROMs have support for what you want.

I
Metzenw said:
I've been asking about this, and no one seems to give a rats butt about it. The best that I can offer you(advice) is to use a 2.2.1 rom, as it seems in those roms, the Softkey backlight only comes on when you touch the softkeys and not when you interact with the screen. Bi-Winning does this, and most likely all of the 2.2.1 roms do. I wish I had the patience to work with android, but I can't ever finish what I start.
Also one thing i noticed on my phone today, when I press or hold the softkeys, the one I touch turns off. So the buttons have separate LED's for each button. But I don't know if when they turn off from being pressed if that is a hardware control or a software control. Same as the Softkey lighting up when you hit a softkey.
I also made a post about why the softkey backlighting reacts different in 2.2.1 vs 2.2 but no one replied to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on bi winning and it doesn't light up as long as you don't touch the led softkeys
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I think Gelaskins sells vinyl-esque appliques that can be applied over the area in question. I had one made for a Nexus S, and it came with the back applique (which I expected) and then two front pieces for above and below the screen.
You can buy a pre-made skin, or make your own using your own graphics.
http://gelaskins.com/store/skins/phones/Galaxy_S_Vibrant_US
And I'm pretty sure that, since they're vinyl-esque, it doesn't impair your ability to use the buttons.

Alright, so it seems, just flash a 2.2.1 rom or Gingerbread, and that will take care of your backlighting issue. They will still come on when you press the softkeys, but not when you touch the screen, which is what i want, so... what Alienz posted as about all you can do.

This is what I do:
1) Grab a Post-it note and scissors.
2) Cut a strip from the adhesive long enough to cover all four buttons.
3) Enjoy an effective 0.01¢ solution

electrical tape

Try the app called LEDs Hack (root only) from the market.
Sent from my LG-P999

Just took another look at that app myself. Should be exactly what you're looking for. It supports the Vibrant and it can be set to automatically disable the lights on a schedule.
Sent from my LG-P999

Well I just tried the above app on SGSII clone and it just force closes. Thanks for the effort though. Think I'm just moving back to a 2.2.1 rom. Damn I loved SGSII though.

I tried the LEDs Hack app from market and force close in bionix 1.3.1. Gonna try running bionix 2.2.1 and see if this do what you guys say... only light the button when I press the button but not when I press the screen.

Touch screen non responsive in landscape

I am having issues with my touch screen not taking my input when in landscape. It works when I change to portrait and usually works when switching back to landscape but then stops again. I've noticed this playing angry birds and browsing in IE. Anything I can do to correct this?
edit: I think I found my issue. If i'm touching the bottom area where the capacitive buttons are the screen won't respond. Is this normal?

I find the sensitivity of the screen is less than the Focus. The Focus suffered from bad touch sensitivity if you didn't hold it (like laying it on the bed). If they can get full registry access to the phone, I'll bet the sensitivity is adjustable.
Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

others have mentioned that touching the soft keys even slightly makes the rest of the screen unresponsive.

I don't know why capacitive buttons are so popular... they might be 'cool' but... hardbuttons aren't accidentally activated, they don't mess up the screen and they provide REAL tactile feedback.
Plus you can search for and use hardbuttons when they are out of sight. With my TV and BD player I have to put my face to the buttons with a magnifying class to see the icons because feeling them activates them and they have no backlights :/

link68759 said:
I don't know why capacitive buttons are so popular... they might be 'cool' but... hardbuttons aren't accidentally activated, they don't mess up the screen and they provide REAL tactile feedback.
Plus you can search for and use hardbuttons when they are out of sight. With my TV and BD player I have to put my face to the buttons with a magnifying class to see the icons because feeling them activates them and they have no backlights :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're popular because presumably they cost less than actual buttons, easier to manufacture, and are less likely to break or need maintainence.
The screen's glass is already set up to be capacitive, so extending that down to the "button" area requires virtually no additional cost - they only need 3 tiny LED's underneath, rather than housing full mechanical buttons, with a separate plastic overlays ontop on the buttons.

[Q] My one concern about buying this phone - How do you deal with no home button?

So I just have one concern as the title says moving to the sony line and that's the lack of physical / off the screen home/back/menu buttons. I've gone from a Galaxy S, to Galaxy S II, to iPhone 5.. now I'm heading back to Android on my personal phone as I've got a 5S from work.. and I'm really ready to give sony a try after years of Samsung.
The only thing I am very nervous about is the fact that there is no physical home button on the Sony, meaning that effectively you're losing out on a fixed portion of the screen for a home / menu /back button instead of it being fixed in the bezel / frame of the phone and out of the way of your display area. I dont understand why this isn't talked about more often in reviews about the sony. Isn't this effectively eliminating a normally useable portion of the screen's resolution? also if the phone locks up.. where as before you could count on a hardware home button to try and force some action.. what happens with the sony implementation?
I realize that this is similar to the Nexus 5, but I guess this could be directed to both phones, it seems to me like, (correct me if i'm wrong as I've stepped away from android after the galaxy S II for the past year or so) if you fire up a full screen video game, the home/menu/back UI software buttons will just be there in the software at all times taking away from the full screen experience of the screens. Isn't having a hardware button a significant benefit not only for full screen real estate, but for quick access to task management and home (example, what steps do i need to worry about with the sony to get out of a full screen movie and immediately to the desktop with no home button?) instead of one button press which I can access blindly anywhere, i have to press a few targeted screen commands?
I really feel like there are strong points to be given for a hardware home / menu / back button, to recap, 1.) more real estate can be used on the screen at all times for the rest of the UI, 2.) not as quick no look access to task manager / multitasking / home 3.) significantly worse full screen gaming experience due to the persistent ui / on screen softkeys.
This is the only thing thats tipping me towards the Galaxy S 5, I guess i wanted to ask what your real world usage with this sony implementation is like and if you feel it is really a hinderance or not. Thanks!

nickbarbs said:
So I just have one concern as the title says moving to the sony line and that's the lack of physical / off the screen home/back/menu buttons. I've gone from a Galaxy S, to Galaxy S II, to iPhone 5.. now I'm heading back to Android on my personal phone as I've got a 5S from work.. and I'm really ready to give sony a try after years of Samsung.
The only thing I am very nervous about is the fact that there is no physical home button on the Sony, meaning that effectively you're losing out on a fixed portion of the screen for a home / menu /back button instead of it being fixed in the bezel / frame of the phone and out of the way of your display area. I dont understand why this isn't talked about more often in reviews about the sony. Isn't this effectively eliminating a normally useable portion of the screen's resolution? also if the phone locks up.. where as before you could count on a hardware home button to try and force some action.. what happens with the sony implementation?
I realize that this is similar to the Nexus 5, but I guess this could be directed to both phones, it seems to me like, (correct me if i'm wrong as I've stepped away from android after the galaxy S II for the past year or so) if you fire up a full screen video game, the home/menu/back UI software buttons will just be there in the software at all times taking away from the full screen experience of the screens. Isn't having a hardware button a significant benefit not only for full screen real estate, but for quick access to task management and home (example, what steps do i need to worry about with the sony to get out of a full screen movie and immediately to the desktop with no home button?) instead of one button press which I can access blindly anywhere, i have to press a few targeted screen commands?
I really feel like there are strong points to be given for a hardware home / menu / back button, to recap, 1.) more real estate can be used on the screen at all times for the rest of the UI, 2.) not as quick no look access to task manager / multitasking / home 3.) significantly worse full screen gaming experience due to the persistent ui / on screen softkeys.
This is the only thing thats tipping me towards the Galaxy S 5, I guess i wanted to ask what your real world usage with this sony implementation is like and if you feel it is really a hinderance or not. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Nick, yeah I see your anxiety, for a while I had the same.
To be honest the fact that there is no home button, aesthetically, for me is a massive plus. I love the idea of just a blank slate where everything is controlled from the screen. I actually hated the samsung implementation of having a touchscreen PLUS hardware button PLUS capacitive buttons. To me that's extremely messy. The all-touchscreen phone is the ultimate minimalism, and I think it's this minimalism that is attractive and impressive as tech goes forward into the future. Hardware buttons on the front face are becoming (and should be) a thing of the past.
In relation to the screen real-estate problem, which I too will have when I get my xperia z2, you should do what I plan on doing and download an app called GMD AUTOHIDE. Youtube it.
There are many others but from youtube this looks the most fully featured. You need to be rooted, but once you have it you can hide and summon the software keys at your leisure (and in different ways), thus using the full screen real estate when you need to and bringing the buttons back easily with a slide up or some other gesture.
Youtube it, it looks awesome.
ps. if you're afraid to root or just don't want to, there are certain apps that support android's 'immersive mode' which means when launched the software keys hide anyway.

It's the way Google have been pushing since ICS, and to be fair it is a good way of doing things. It enables larger screens for movie playback for a start. Instead if thinking it as a waste of screen real estate, think of it as buttons being a waste of bezel. The buttons will always be buttons, but with on screen buttons, the space can be used more. In regards to the hardware button being an override for crashes, I've had a nexus 7 (2012) since launch, and it's never ever been a problem.

Once you get past the need for physical touch, the on-screen buttons will be God sent. Not only does that allow the screen to be bigger, but you can customize the button and do other cool stuff.

I think a number of phones cross platforms are heading towards no physical button.

edge3uk said:
It's the way Google have been pushing since ICS, and to be fair it is a good way of doing things. It enables larger screens for movie playback for a start. Instead if thinking it as a waste of screen real estate, think of it as buttons being a waste of bezel. The buttons will always be buttons, but with on screen buttons, the space can be used more. In regards to the hardware button being an override for crashes, I've had a nexus 7 (2012) since launch, and it's never ever been a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree somewhat that google has been going this way, but disagree that it's a good way of doing things and also disagree that it enables larger screens.
** Disclaimer ** these are just my opinions
1. I see Google's Nexus phone (yes I've owned 2 of them) as a framework for Android, not so much what it wants all other Android manufacturers to go. For example, the SD-Card. No Nexus devices come with an SD-Card. Does this mean that SD-Cards will die on Android? As we can see, their inclusion is becoming more widespread, not the other way around.
2. Agree that hardware buttons aren't ideal. However, I see nothing wrong with capacitive buttons. Make them generic shapes so users can assign custom actions to them. It would free up space, allow everyone to be happy, and allow for things like swipe-2-wake with little to no battery penalty.
3. Capacitive buttons were removed on the HTC M8, did the bezel go away, no. I think the LG G2 is the phone with the smallest bezels on record and it still has plenty of space for capacitive buttons below the screen.
With all that said, I don't think it's a big deal to have on-screen buttons. They work the same and with android making the UI elements transparent it doesn't feel as bad as before when it really felt like it cut down on screen space. Honestly, I don't know what was so wrong about the original 4-way capacitive button layout from a few generations back. Menu, Home, Back, Search. I'd love for someone to explain to me how searching for 3 dots or if there's a pullout pane on the left or right is better than always being able to press a menu capacitive button.

se1000 said:
I agree somewhat that google has been going this way, but disagree that it's a good way of doing things and also disagree that it enables larger screens.
** Disclaimer ** these are just my opinions
1. I see Google's Nexus phone (yes I've owned 2 of them) as a framework for Android, not so much what it wants all other Android manufacturers to go. For example, the SD-Card. No Nexus devices come with an SD-Card. Does this mean that SD-Cards will die on Android? As we can see, their inclusion is becoming more widespread, not the other way around.
2. Agree that hardware buttons aren't ideal. However, I see nothing wrong with capacitive buttons. Make them generic shapes so users can assign custom actions to them. It would free up space, allow everyone to be happy, and allow for things like swipe-2-wake with little to no battery penalty.
3. Capacitive buttons were removed on the HTC M8, did the bezel go away, no. I think the LG G2 is the phone with the smallest bezels on record and it still has plenty of space for capacitive buttons below the screen.
With all that said, I don't think it's a big deal to have on-screen buttons. They work the same and with android making the UI elements transparent it doesn't feel as bad as before when it really felt like it cut down on screen space. Honestly, I don't know what was so wrong about the original 4-way capacitive button layout from a few generations back. Menu, Home, Back, Search. I'd love for someone to explain to me how searching for 3 dots or if there's a pullout pane on the left or right is better than always being able to press a menu capacitive button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely understand your worry, but as said, you can change your mind pretty quickly. I went from a Xperia X10 Mini Pro (with physical navigation buttons) to a Xperia S (capacitative nav. buttons), and now coupled with a Tablet Z (on screen navigation buttons). First improvement I had from the X10 MP to the XS, was that even with tight spaces (pockets, or whatever), the buttons weren't pressed by accident. The capacitative buttons on the XS are a bit hard to press at first, but you easily get used to them. Unlike Samsung's, they don't offer a high change of also being pressed by accident when holding the device.
Now, with the Tablet Z, with only on screen buttons, it was a worry for me at first, having both status bar and navigation bar, using more space. However, after a bit, I got used to it. With the awesome Double Tap to Wake function, I almost never need to reach the power button anymore. Sometimes, I even get myself trying that on the XS, and wondering why it isn't working, only to then realize it doesn't have that function lol
When using media apps, like video players, gallery apps, etc, the buttons either hide completely or, with 4.4 devices, enter the Translucent Mode, where the bars have a gradient and the content can be seen under it. To bring them back, or swipe the status bar down once, or touch the screen once. So, in the important cases, they just go away, not taking your precious real screen state.
Regarding capacitative buttons, like you said, aren't that much of a big deal. But, believe me, switch to on screen buttons and you will see how better it is. When you don't need it, they simply go away. Also, it uses much less internal space to put them on the screen than capacitative ones. Last, but not least, they don't stop working
Regarding the HTC One M8, if you look at teardowns pictures, you will see that the "extra" bezel was needed to fit the components inside the phone. There's so much tech inside such a small body. It's not easy to put all of that inside that. If they were to reduce the bezel, they would need a ticker device. The Xperia Z2 has a quite big bezel compared to other devices, but like the M8, there's so much tech inside that body, that they need to sacrifice on something to compensate on others. Part is also due the OmniBalance design, that demands some harmony, symmetry.
Lastly, part of the answer to the 4 button vs 3 dots is based on what I said earlier, regarding accidental touches, etc. But, most importantly, is so that the user KNOWS there's another menu there, that they can access. With my old X10 MP, I took 1 to 2 months to really understand the use of that third button on the device. When I pressed it and saw a menu pop, I was like "Ohhh, so there's more stuff here!". That was the main idea, at least from what I know.
Btw, sorry for the huge post...

Also, some manufacturers are taking advantage of on-screen buttons to make really small bezels. Check out the LG G2 and the Moto X. Their bezels are small enough that putting physical buttons there would be extremely awkward, so you end up with a smaller device/larger screen (however you want to look at it) thanks to on-screen buttons. I have a feeling phone designs will increasingly move in that direction.

when the screen gets big, having a dedicated home button will be really awkward to press when you are holding the phone near the middle. i thought i will never able to escape from the home button from the galaxy line, but after using nexus 4, i could never go back to using the damn home button...

theclueless said:
when the screen gets big, having a dedicated home button will be really awkward to press when you are holding the phone near the middle. i thought i will never able to escape from the home button from the galaxy line, but after using nexus 4, i could never go back to using the damn home button...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your comments- looks people do have views on this but many of you are fine with it - can anyone confirms how these software navigation keys will behave in games and movies ? Do they ever disappear ? How do you get them back if so?
Thanks - I'm feeling a bit better about trying it out ...

nickbarbs said:
can anyone confirms how these software navigation keys will behave in games and movies ? Do they ever disappear ? How do you get them back if so?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost all movie apps will cause them to disappear. This has been a feature of Android for quite a while now. You just tap the screen and they come back.
A few games/apps also cause them to disappear. This is a new feature of Android as of KitKat (4.4) known as "immersive mode," so there are limited games/apps that support it. You get the controls back by swiping from the top or bottom of the screen, but simply tapping or swiping elsewhere on the screen will not bring them back, so you can continue using the app/game in full-screen.

Will LG again waste displayspace by annoying softkeys?

Hi,
I´m really eager to know if LG finally is smart like Samsung and HTC, to use the space below the display for control keys instead of wasting part of the screen. Come on LG, it´s not so hard to learn! I am not willing to carry a large, unhandy device which is not even capable of using the complete screen for displaying contents.

Buy a Samsung then. I prefer soft keys. Hardware keys are retarded.

Is this the first time you've used an Android phone? The old ancient phones used capacative and hardware buttons, on-screen buttons are the newer way of interacting with your device that is replacing capacative and hardware buttons. The benefits of course mean you can have smaller bottom bezels, the buttons can hide when using immersive apps like videos and photos, they can change based on your preference or when the OS gets updated, etc.
Physical and capacative buttons are archaic.

Well, not the smartest kind of an answer but that was to be expected - fanboys even would argue bull**** to gold.
Seems you never used a modern smartphone with these softkeys integrated in screen but below the display.
Its not very hard to understand, that this is the way to get the most of the surface area of a smartphone.

No question the g5 will have software keys. I have to say after bouncing between LG and Samsung phones I much prefer Samsung's setup. The bottom bezel on my v10 isn't any smaller than that on my note 4, so LG could easily integrate capacitive buttons on their devices. Yes the software keys disappear in certain apps, but that just means it takes another swipe or tap to get them to reappear, which is only adding an extra step to exiting an app.
I also much prefer Samsung's home/fingerprint sensor setup. You can turn on the screen with the home button (no need for double tap to wake,) and when using the fingerprint security you can still unlock the phone when it's laying on a desk or in your car cradle without having to input a pattern or pin.
I'm not saying software keys are an absolute deal breaker, but they offer no benefit compared to capacitive keys and have several drawbacks.

Thank you rivera02,
thats the best description about it, you brought it to the point.
Its not that Samsung smartphones are absolutely best, I think the G4 has many advantages like the changeable battery and the sdcard slot. But every oem builds in certian disadvantages, so everybody has the choice to take what annoys him or her the less

Bluecharge said:
Well, not the smartest kind of an answer but that was to be expected - fanboys even would argue bull**** to gold.
Seems you never used a modern smartphone with these softkeys integrated in screen but below the display.
Its not very hard to understand, that this is the way to get the most of the surface area of a smartphone.
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First off, they aren't softkeys if they are below the display, they are capacative keys. They can not change, they are printed into the phone itself. And yes, I had an S6 and Note 5 so I know well what they are like. Having to physically press a button is really annoying when trying to press it one handed, where the phone is already delicately balanced in your hand. For the capacative buttons, I much prefer on screen keys that disappear when you don't need them, and ones that you can change at will or when Android gets updated.

geoff5093 said:
First off, they aren't softkeys if they are below the display, they are capacative keys. They can not change, they are printed into the phone itself. And yes, I had an S6 and Note 5 so I know well what they are like. Having to physically press a button is really annoying when trying to press it one handed, where the phone is already delicately balanced in your hand. For the capacative buttons, I much prefer on screen keys that disappear when you don't need them, and ones that you can change at will or when Android gets updated.
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Hi geoff5093,
sorry that was my misunderstanding. You're right and I didn't mean hardwarebuttons but capacitive keys below the display. I personally think, that disappearing softwarekeys have much disadvantages, because you have to make them appear and this often interacts with the app you were using to this point. With capacitive keys below the screen they are available whenever you need them, they don't need any display space and they don't interact unwantedly with the before-used app.
The ideal way may be both of them. Capacitive keys below the screen and aditional softwarekeys for whoever likes to have an idividual layout. But I think that nobody would do this, as there seem not to exist any mod for additional softwarekeys e.g. for Samsung or HTC devices.

Softkeys have their benefits. They can be customized, moved around, even their appearance can be changed. However they DO waste screen space. Whenever these comparisons come up people claim that phones with sofkeys can/do have smaller bezels and that "sofkeys disappear when you don't need them anyway". The former is simply not true. Capacitive buttons take up so little space that you could fit them in any phone with softkeys. As for the latter, softkeys are still there 95% of the time I'm using the phone. Browsing/texting/using the dialer, they are still there making the usable screen noticeably smaller. It's the only thing I actually like about Samsung phones. Note 5 and Nexus 6P share the same screen size and yet the Samsung is smaller in hand AND has a larger usable screen area because no space is ever wasted on softkeys. LG G5 with sofkeys and 5.3" screen would mean roughly the same usable space as 5.5" LG G4 and also a more compact device. The bad thing is that in the case of this particular phone it would mean these modules would need to come with integrated capacitive buttons as well.

geoff5093 said:
Is this the first time you've used an Android phone? The old ancient phones used capacative and hardware buttons, on-screen buttons are the newer way of interacting with your device that is replacing capacative and hardware buttons. The benefits of course mean you can have smaller bottom bezels, the buttons can hide when using immersive apps like videos and photos, they can change based on your preference or when the OS gets updated, etc.
Physical and capacative buttons are archaic.
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I won't even buy a phone if it has hardware buttons. It's not 2011 any more.

I kinda like soft keys actually, I never have to bother with which way is up when operating the phone in landscape and less oops I've hit the home/back key scenarios. I've done the whole HTC/Samsung/Sony/LG round from actual buttons, capacitive buttons and some weird capacitive dot thing.
If only they could figure out a better way to make buttons appear when in full screen. That's the only complaint since sometimes it will miss.

Someone above said home button is better than double tap to wake. Wat a BS, lol. Are you from samsung or what? Following this approach, I am wondering why you did not say there should have been numeric hard keys to dial instead of touch screen.

I left Samsung because of that button. Got tired of the button waking the phone and then accidentally unlocking phone. Then making accidental phone calls and answering them. Love softkeys! Makes my phone look sleeker
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

hardware keys are lame and waste internal space and bezel. software keys for the win!

Nobody wrote about hardwarekeys.
First read, then write. Some of you never will get it.

capacative and hardware buttons, are the best for me.
on-screen buttons sometimes don't disappear when playing some games or sometimes on app's aswell.
they should have all 3, capacative and hardware buttons and on screen button.
if you want to use capacative or hardware botton use it. and if you don't like it then use on screen button by going to the setting and change it. like. like onePlus Two did.

Waxim1 said:
Someone above said home button is better than double tap to wake. Wat a BS, lol. Are you from samsung or what? Following this approach, I am wondering why you did not say there should have been numeric hard keys to dial instead of touch screen.
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No doubt. That is one of the most bizarre posts I have ever seen. Double tap to wake is a must for me now and any phone that doesnt have it is nearly a deal breaker. It is definitely better than hitting home and there is truly no way to logically argue that it is and yet somehow someone is trying.

Sorry but I did not get the message of this thread. Even a device with capacitive keys needs place for those keys, not on the screen but on the device that will increase the size of the phone. Biggest screen on the smallest device is possible only with softkeys. And these can be hided by the system in particular application in order to use the entire screen.

Bluecharge said:
Well, not the smartest kind of an answer but that was to be expected - fanboys even would argue bull**** to gold.
Seems you never used a modern smartphone with these softkeys integrated in screen but below the display.
Its not very hard to understand, that this is the way to get the most of the surface area of a smartphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...like my Oneplus Two...:good:

AMDZen said:
No doubt. That is one of the most bizarre posts I have ever seen. Double tap to wake is a must for me now and any phone that doesnt have it is nearly a deal breaker. It is definitely better than hitting home and there is truly no way to logically argue that it is and yet somehow someone is trying.
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Click to collapse
Lol well to each their own, but I think arguing that it's more convenient to tap a screen twice than to tap a button once is a pretty illogical argument. Much more so when you take into account the fact that LG has never gotten the double tap feature to work with one hundred percent accuracy.

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