iPhone 16 adds a button, while Xiaomi's new 'Zhuque' model aims to eliminate all physical buttons

08/29 2024 477

Apple adds buttons, while Android subtracts them.

With the upcoming release of the iPhone 16 series, its biggest hardware interaction 'innovation' is the addition of a dedicated physical button for photography. The design trends in the mobile phone industry can sometimes be unpredictable. While Apple is still adding physical buttons to the iPhone, the neighboring Android camp is striving to streamline hardware design.

Contrary to Apple, Xiaomi plans to eliminate physical buttons?

Recently, tech media outlet smartprix reported that Xiaomi will launch a smartphone without any physical buttons in 2025, internally code-named 'Zhuque'. The code name aside, it's no secret that Xiaomi enjoys naming its products after Chinese and foreign myths, with names like Suiren and Xuanyuan among them.

According to the report, the highlight of Xiaomi's new 'Zhuque' model is its 'buttonless' design, which means the current methods of interacting with power switches and volume controls will change. The blogger stated that this project is currently in the early stages of development, and the specific interaction methods are unclear, but they speculate that Xiaomi may adopt gesture control, pressure-sensitive edges, and voice commands for interaction.

In terms of other hardware, the new model is positioned as a high-end flagship and is expected to use the same processor as the Xiaomi 15S Pro, which will be released in the second quarter of 2025, namely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 4 chip. So there's no need to worry about performance.

On the contrary, the front screen of the new model adopts an under-display camera design, which is the most concerning aspect for users. Previously, ZTE and Samsung have attempted this, but the photography quality of the front-facing camera has been less than ideal. Hopefully, Xiaomi's solution will be more refined.

The idea of adding a dedicated camera button to the iPhone 16 was actually tried by Android phones as early as 2013. Xiaomi's exploration of eliminating physical buttons aligns more with current design trends.

In pursuit of a fully integrated design, Android phones continue to eliminate physical buttons

From the early days of flip phones, slide phones, and rotating phones to the touchscreen and button combinations, and then to the era of all-screen smartphones with under-display cameras, headphone jack removal, and under-display sensors, the development trend of smartphones suggests that in the foreseeable future, phones will inevitably evolve towards a truly integrated form factor.

Previously, Huawei Mate 30 Pro and vivo NEX 3 explored virtual buttons, but to eliminate physical buttons, they resorted to more complex ways to 'simulate' them, which ultimately wasn't an optimal solution, and few manufacturers followed suit.

The interaction methods rumored for Xiaomi's new model, if applied in the past, would likely have met a similar fate as their predecessors. However, today, the feasibility of any of these methods has been proven by the industry.

For example, Meizu's zero-port phone, launched in 2019, has no physical buttons. It employs 'virtual pressure-sensitive buttons' that utilize pressure detection technology to implement power and volume buttons on the sides of the device. Combined with the mEngine motor, these buttons provide a more realistic tactile sensation under linear haptic feedback.

Image source: Meizu

Gesture control, meanwhile, has become a standard feature among domestic mobile phone brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, OPPO, and vivo. However, the current gesture control functions are relatively limited, supporting only actions like scrolling, screenshotting, returning, and answering calls with specific gestures. They are far from replacing physical buttons, and the accuracy and speed of gesture recognition still need improvement.

If there's no breakthrough in gesture control technology, I believe that if Xiaomi does launch a 'buttonless' new model next year, gesture control can at best serve as a supplementary solution.

As for voice commands, thanks to the rise of large AI models, the intelligence level of voice assistants across mobile phone brands has significantly improved. The days of 'artificial stupidity' are long gone, replaced by more powerful natural language understanding capabilities, faster response times, and AI features like image generation and view editing. Handling common interactions traditionally handled by buttons, such as adjusting volume, turning the screen on/off, powering down, or muting, should pose no problem.

Image source: Apple

Zero buttons may look sleek, but interaction challenges cannot be ignored

Physical buttons have irreplaceable value, and Xiaomi's new phone faces at least the following challenges in achieving a fully 'buttonless' design:

1. How to power on the device? After all, voice commands and gestures are unavailable when the device is off.

2. How to support special scenarios? For example, voice interaction is not feasible for individuals with speech impairments, and gesture control is not an option for those with hand disabilities. While the buttonless design may enhance integration, accessibility support is bound to suffer.

Of course, one could argue that such individuals simply shouldn't buy such phones. But if the 'buttonless' design becomes mainstream, will individuals with disabilities be left with no choice but to opt for customized physical button phones?

3. How to support extreme operations like flashing and resetting the phone? These operations often require physical buttons, so how can they be performed without them?

4. How to support 'blind operations'? This debate has already taken place in the context of automotive smart cockpits: while touchscreen and voice interaction are convenient, physical buttons often offer higher efficiency for tasks like adjusting volume, opening windows, or controlling air conditioning. Some infotainment systems force drivers to learn voice commands, compromising the user experience.

Moreover, physical buttons support blind operation, while touchscreens do not. This is why physical keyboard accessories still exist: they provide a physical QWERTY keyboard for touchscreens, facilitating typing and blind operation. If a phone lacks buttons and relies solely on voice interaction, would we have to shout 'mute me!' into the phone when we want to silence it in public?

In summary, no design is perfect. The 'buttonless design' offers the advantage of integration but also has weaknesses in human-computer interaction and accessibility support. However, if Xiaomi can find a compromise, its 'Zhuque' model has the potential to become a significant milestone in the history of smartphone development. Source: Leitech

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