This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
I pat myself on the back as I realize I've been fortunate enough to play with and use pretty much all the relevant Android phones that launch every year. The ability to actually tinker with and daily-drive devices that most people might never even see in real life is a humbling blessing, and it has definitely allowed me to expand my scope greatly.
In my opinion, one of the most useful and cool new design features that emerged in the past couple of years is the addition of custom hardware buttons. Although phones with standard button layouts (power + volume keys) have become the norm, mobile phones have almost always played with the idea of adding extra buttons, especially in the earlier days of the industry.
Change my mind –– custom buttons are wonderful!
Recently, it was Apple that kind of reinvigorated the new button craze. First, it swapped its mechanical ring switch for a customizable Action Button, and subsequently, it introduced the Camera Control button. These were quickly adopted by a large portion of Android manufacturers, which were quick to emulate and improve on the example given by Apple.
These are, plain and simple, added functionalities to your phone that only improve its utility without sacrificing anything in return. The opposite of having these is, naturally, no buttons, which isn't fun at all.
No matter what it's called, the customizable button that sits on the left-hand side of most devices not only lets you quickly and easily switch between ring modes but also access a multitude of many other features, like enabling Do Not Disturb mode, Camera, Flashlight, Translate, or many other features. That's so much better than having no button at all!
And in the case of the camera-related extra key that is usually positioned on the right side of most phones these days, it's net added value. Although I agree it's not that useful, it sometimes comes in clutch in specific scenarios where you only have a single hand to operate the device and have to quickly snap a picture. It's also useful to zoom with these buttons as your finger is no longer hiding a large part of the screen and the camera interface.
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You can't really fault having more options, can you?
Samsung and Google need to jump on the bandwagon
Now that I've experienced what Apple and some Android manufacturers are doing in terms of actually useful exterior design, I feel a bit bummed out that Samsung and Google, the two biggest Android makers with a persistent presence on the US phone market, aren't exploring these hardware features more.
Sure, nothing beats a stylus, but having a customizable action button on the left side of the super-sleek Galaxy S26 Ultra wouldn't hurt. Nor will a capacitive camera key on the right side of the phone.
Again, those two are pure and unadulterated net gains in terms of functionality.
Google should also explore these. Once, Pixels were fun and had cool features, like Squeeze for Assistant (remember that one?) and hand gestures that set Google's phones apart. I get why these didn't really survive the test of time or the market trends, but Pixels are probably some of the most boring phones you can get right now in terms of hardware variety; there's nothing truly setting them apart aside from the gimmicky thermometer sensor.
My point is that Samsung and Google shouldn't stay away from the custom button design trends that's experiencing a renaissance right now, and I hope the two manufacturers take heed of the competition promptly.
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Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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