Why are android devs against physical buttons?

[snowdog]

They greatly improve usability&productivity imho, plus having the keyboard higher ( on screen buttons) is annoying for people who don't have massive hands like mine.

I've always been using Samsung (S2 for 2 years, then S4 for 2 years), with no complaints, then I went to a Z3 for 4 months, which is now at the insurer for repairs/replacement, now I'm temporarily using a HTC One M7, my dads old phone. Also from work I use an S3 ( usually I used my own private Z3 for work calls too, as I hated carrying more than 2 phones and have unlimited calls anyhow).

Now that I'm using the HTC One, I come to realise, how much I miss the dedicated buttons on bottom: Home, back and taskman/applications. Why do the Android devs insist/recommend placing them on screen ?

It's a waste of valuable screen space, plus it moves the keyboard upwards, which is annoying. The new HTC One lacks these buttons and I personally think that is a mistake.

I'm tempted to just replace the cracked screen myself, perhaps replace the battery while I'm at it, and keep the HTC One M7, as since I updated the software ( dad was running ancient android 4.2 or so) to 5.0 and new HTC Sense, I love it, fair enough I'm not multitasking as much as on my Z3, and I miss the SD slot ( 32gb is to litte space), but overall, this phone is FAR superior to the Z3 for my use, if only it had 3gb of ram, an SD slot, and a newer APU .

Before Android I have had an N97, and my dad had a Desire Z around my S2 times, both of these had a physical QWERTY too, I loved both these phones, Symbian was terrible but the physique/body was great. The Desire Z was also awesome, and I find it very unfortunate they never made a new one with better hardware ( cpu&ram).


But, long story short, I got 2 buttons back and got rid of the on-screen buttons on the bottom, and the phone immediately works far more to my liking, why does Google insist for phone makers to remove them ? Luckily there still is Samsung who are dominant enough to keep the buttons and tell Google to FO basically .

 

[snowdog]

You can please everyone is the simple answer.

Onscreen buttons and tiny bottom bezel is WIN IMO.

Which phone has a tiny bottom bezzle then ? Certainly not Sony's Flagships, Motorolla's Nexus, HTC's flagship, etc...

Just pointless wasted space next to the bottom speakers, perfectly fit for physical or touch buttons to keep more screen space for actual important things, and keeping the kb lower.

 

[snowdog]

If this doesn't class as a tiny bottom bezel than I don't know what does.

http://www.droid-life.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/nexus-6-review-11.jpg

Just pointless wasted space next to the bottom speakers, perfectly fit for physical or touch buttons to keep more screen space for actual important things, and keeping the kb lower.

More then enough space to have 2 buttons there!

So say Google decide to release a 4 buttons navigation bar that would easily be applied to all Google devices.

That makes sense, but the navigation bar just takes up valuable screen space, pushes the keyboard upwards ( or if you have a auto hidden nav bar, you need an extra action to get it up), and is generally wasting space, like for example on the Z3/5 and the Nexus 6 and the new HTC One, the spacen ear the bottom speakers.

On the Z3, with swiftkey ( I swear by this kb), with the number row enabled, it takes up more than half the screen due to the navigation bar, it's a bit excessive imo ( yes I know I can make swiftkey smaller, but that's not the point).

 

[snowdog]

Its not out of reach for me and the keyboard is also fine for me... Perhaps get a smaller phone for smaller hands?

They are not out of reach per sé, they have far worse typing comfort. And screen space is always a problem, so smaller phone is not an option, there is always to little screen space ( for example for Waze or other apps) but also browsing.