*** Sony Xperia Z5 ***
- Thread starter sansnom
- Start date
"Looking at samples". Not really confusing is it?
Hard to tell really but the on screen buttons don't make the screen smaller - its not like they are persistent.
Android does a good job of hiding them / maximising screen space by default and displaying them when you pull down the screen
I remember them from my nexus 4 days being quite wasteful with space especially in landscape, has it been improved?
Its the Z5 Premium and its about 1mm taller than the Note 5 even though it has a smaller screen. Samsung did a good job with the bezels on the Note.
depends where you are
if looking at home screen / app drawer / general system screens then yes space is wasted but when you're actually doing anything in an app its all good.I used to think on screen buttons were a poor idea but having used a nexus 5 for the past few months I'm converted!
Caporegime
- Joined
- 13 May 2003
- Posts
- 34,515
- Location
- Warwickshire
Yeah, maximising usable screen space for a given phone height is just so outdated!
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Oct 2005
- Posts
- 6,243
- Location
- North of Watford Gap
I'd like off-screen buttons too, though it's not a game-changer either way. Frankly for of the space they require all phones should at least come with the option. Given the enormous bezels on the Z5 (and the previous models) you have to wonder what the heck they do have there.
I have yet to find a downside to the buttons either side of the home button on my Note 2. Where is the additional benefit to having them on screen as I've always been concerned about moving to a different arrangement to that of Samsung phones?
Yup each to their own.
I just can't stand capacitive/hard home buttons now, afaic, it is only a matter of time until Samsung drop their button arrangement, they can't keep copying Apple forever unless of course apple drop their hard button and move to on screen buttons at some point...
The only other company that offer that button arrangement are the 1+1 phones now but they also have the ability to add on screen buttons so I would say that the vast majority seem to prefer on screen buttons.
IMO, on screen buttons advantages:
- flexible, they adapt depending on what you are doing with your phone i.e. normal home screen usage, they will show, which isn't an issue at all... and probably won't be long until the likes of nova launcher add a feature/option to hide them, if you watch a video or play a game, they will disappear completely, browsing the internet, they will disappear (need to use a browser like dolphin etc.), reading a book, they will disappear etc. etc.
- one less thing to break.... lost count as to the amount of complaints I have heard/read regarding the buttons not responding/breaking on the GS phones (more so pre-GS 4) and the hard home button coming lose i.e. losing the nice "click/activate" feel/sound, essentially becoming "mushy" to press
- makes the front of the phone look so much better imo, I love the sleek, minimal all black/glass look of the nexus 4, 5, 6 and xperia Z phones
afaic it is only a matter of time until google or/and more OEMs offer choice of how the on screen buttons look (colour, size, icons etc.) and behave, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something similar to para-android custom ROM implementation in a future version of stock android or/and an OEM to do something before google.
I just can't stand capacitive/hard home buttons now, afaic, it is only a matter of time until Samsung drop their button arrangement, they can't keep copying Apple forever unless of course apple drop their hard button and move to on screen buttons at some point...
The only other company that offer that button arrangement are the 1+1 phones now but they also have the ability to add on screen buttons so I would say that the vast majority seem to prefer on screen buttons.IMO, on screen buttons advantages:
- flexible, they adapt depending on what you are doing with your phone i.e. normal home screen usage, they will show, which isn't an issue at all... and probably won't be long until the likes of nova launcher add a feature/option to hide them, if you watch a video or play a game, they will disappear completely, browsing the internet, they will disappear (need to use a browser like dolphin etc.), reading a book, they will disappear etc. etc.
- one less thing to break.... lost count as to the amount of complaints I have heard/read regarding the buttons not responding/breaking on the GS phones (more so pre-GS 4) and the hard home button coming lose i.e. losing the nice "click/activate" feel/sound, essentially becoming "mushy" to press
- makes the front of the phone look so much better imo, I love the sleek, minimal all black/glass look of the nexus 4, 5, 6 and xperia Z phones
afaic it is only a matter of time until google or/and more OEMs offer choice of how the on screen buttons look (colour, size, icons etc.) and behave, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something similar to para-android custom ROM implementation in a future version of stock android or/and an OEM to do something before google.
I bet the top six selling smartphones have a home button.
Though I strongly agree it's an each to their own situation.
Last edited:
I was commenting about fashion and old hatness only.
