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Are you missing the mechanical home button on the Samsung Galaxy S8?

by Preslav Kateliev / May 25, 2017, 9:09 AM

Are you missing the mechanical home button on the Samsung Galaxy S8?

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are fresh new beasts, with lo-o-ong displays and super slim bezels. The design might be breathtaking, but it has its limitations. Among them, we have the lack of room for a physical home button, which has — for ages — been located on every Samsung phone's chin, neighbored by capacitive “Recents” and “Back” buttons.

The new Sammy flagships have virtual navigation keys, like Google's Pixels and LG's phones. With that, we at least get the advantage of being able to (finally) arrange the “Back” and “Recent” placements to how we prefer them, which instantly puts an end to the gripes many have with Samsung's “reverse placement” of those buttons. But we've lost that signature, clicky home button and the backlit capacitive keys, which will certainly be missed by many.

Fingerprint scanner position aside, let's talk about the physical vs virtual nav buttons. Which side of the fence are you on?

Do you miss the mechanical home and capacitive buttons on the Galaxy S8 / S8+?

Absolutely. Mechanical click and backlit buttons are where it's at!

28.91%

I'm fine either way

26.31%

I much prefer the new, virtual style

44.78%

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34 Comments

1. darkkjedii

Posts: 31764; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Not at all. I've gotten use to the new style, and it works just fine.

posted on May 25, 2017, 9:46 AM 7

3. bucknassty

Posts: 1396; Member since: Mar 24, 2017

Jedii, that is my biggest fear, and one reason why i stayed with samsung. are you able to adjust the vibration feedback strength (length)

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:07 AM 0

6. Clars123

Posts: 1079; Member since: Mar 16, 2015

the feedback itself isn't adjustable as far as I've seen..but you can adjust the pressure needed to trigger it so you do it more assuredly. In my opinion, it isn't very localized to the active area as I would like but it works better than regular haptics regardless.

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:25 AM 0

27. sgtdisturbed47

Posts: 974; Member since: Feb 02, 2012

The haptic feedback is certainly better than what it was but it's not nearly as "clicky" as the iPhone feedback. Hopefully the Note 8 will improve upon this.

posted on May 25, 2017, 1:51 PM 1

9. Bankz

Posts: 2550; Member since: Apr 08, 2016

On screen buttons are the way to go.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:02 AM 1

15. Flash

Posts: 1972; Member since: May 19, 2017

Until burn in kicks in.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:15 PM 0

20. maherk

Posts: 7056; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

The on screen buttons on the S8 are always moving, you won't notice it, but it's there to prevent burning the pixels.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:56 PM 0

22. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

The onscreen buttons don't stay on long enough for burn-in, I am betting the one phone we heard of, the owner was a hater who likely set it to stay on for hours....until it did burn in.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:58 PM 2

11. darkkjedii

@bucknasty. For the home button, yes. I'm not sure about the FPS. And yes, you can double tap the camera for quick launch.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:32 AM 0

29. joevsyou

Posts: 1093; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

yes and make it more/less sensitive to your liking

posted on May 25, 2017, 3:51 PM 0

4. Phonehex

Posts: 768; Member since: Feb 16, 2016

only missing quick launch camera! :(

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:13 AM 1

5. bucknassty

i thought you could double tap the power button?

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:22 AM 8

17. Phonehex

I bought the international (EXYNOS) version , my device is imported from India . This one particular rom doesn't support the double press home for camera.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:16 PM 0

21. TechieXP1969

Double-tap power button.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:56 PM 1

2. zunaidahmed

Posts: 1186; Member since: Dec 24, 2011

eh, doesn't really matter. The old home button on the Galaxy(s) were a bit s**tty anyway.

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:00 AM 2

7. joeytaylor

Posts: 957; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

I have adjusted perfectly.....it was my main concern....but hasn't been a problem at all

posted on May 25, 2017, 10:27 AM 2

8. middlehead

Posts: 476; Member since: May 12, 2014

Capacitive buttons are a big part of the reason I picked the S7 over the G5. If that's not an option anymore, I have no reason to stay with Samsung.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:00 AM 0

24. TechieXP1969

Well keep switching until you run out of options. Because in 2 years, I am betting all flagships will have onscreen buttons. Unless you want a retarded big phone.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:59 PM 0

33. UglyFrank

Posts: 2200; Member since: Jan 23, 2014

You'd be surprised, Samsung implementation is quite good. The home button responds even when the screen is off, you won't miss the physical button. Infact activity which require double/triple taps (e.g. one hand mode) are easier to activate

posted on May 25, 2017, 6:20 PM 0

10. tedkord

Posts: 17512; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

I didn't vote, since I don't have one, but I think I'd miss it initially. I'd adjust with time. However, I'd never adjust to that stupid fingerprint scanner positioning.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:18 AM 0

16. Flash

You would still buy it of course.

23. maherk

You will adjust to it in less than 3 days max, I hated it before getting the phone, but I loved it after trying it. Unless you're getting the S8 Plus and have average size hands, then that's a different story I guess.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:58 PM 0

34. sissy246

Posts: 7129; Member since: Mar 04, 2015

Not really I don't have huge hands and it took about 3 to 4 days with the s8+ to learn just where to pick up the phone and hit the FPS. I pick it up about in the middle of the phone and not bottom of the phone and hit the FPS every time.

posted on May 26, 2017, 9:07 AM 0

12. Rickaysen

Posts: 8; Member since: Nov 15, 2012

A virtual button may be new to Samsung, but it's hardly new. The physical home button sported by previous phones was the main reason I avoided Samsung until I finally caved and bought into the Galaxy S7 Edge. Now that I've got my S8 Plus, I'm enjoying having a cleaner design without that ugly throwback button.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:46 AM 0

13. jsjammu

Posts: 169; Member since: Nov 13, 2014

I could care less about the actual home button. Galaxy S8 Plus is a very disappointing especially with freezing and rebooting issues. Not something I want to see from a $900 phone.

posted on May 25, 2017, 11:56 AM 0

25. TechieXP1969

Yeah, because price somehow dictates less or more problems?!

posted on May 25, 2017, 1:01 PM 2

14. brasstax

Posts: 546; Member since: Apr 16, 2014

I may be the odd one out but I for one simply cannot understand the preference for on screen buttons. Why sacrifice screen real estate? I know many apps these days provide the option for full screen mode but still...

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:03 PM 1

18. therealestmc

Posts: 680; Member since: Jul 23, 2012

Unless it comes with the phone I am not buying or using it. For the most part I think it's a gimmick. I like to use my phone even when it is plugged.

posted on May 25, 2017, 12:27 PM 0

30. joevsyou

wat? You can't use a phone while plugged in. What on earth are you on

posted on May 25, 2017, 3:53 PM 0

19. TechieXP1969

I certainly miss it. Force Touch anything to me right now is terrible. As they say, "Ain't nothing like the real thing baby!" I have never liked onscreen button, an have always avoided phones that have them. Its not a deal breaker, it just feels weird.