Why do they keep making Smartphones with front touch buttons and no OS setup choice?

Coolknight1968

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If you think about it, why do the manufacturers continue to make phones with dedicated capacitive front buttons?

It makes no sense at all!

Just like it makes no sense to make dedicated Windows Phone or Android devices.

The buttons are capacitive and are controlled over the touch screen.
They should just make the display larger and display the buttons!
This way you eliminate the extra LEDs used to light up the buttons, makes the design simpler.
Then you can decide the order of the buttons, the number 3 or 4 etc.
Also, ie. HTC, Huawei, Samsung could only make a single phone and sell it with a dual boot Once only Setup.

You buy the phone, then Select to setup Android or Windows phone 8.
It is not a problem if the phone has 16Gb or more. When you select one OS, the other OS install files are removed.
If you want to switch later, you have to buy the other OS from the manufacturer.

As to the dedicated camera button, if you have a display that is longer, you can just add it as a dedicated shortcut there.

I have no need for the camera button, I don't need it, I even disable the camera on function as I prefer to be sure that
my phone will not turn on by mistake.

The key is always make one model, make many many many to keep costs low and offer more value for the money!
 

Slai

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Im sorry if im ignorant here, but doesnt things like cpu, ram, etc sort of matter to what OS the device runs...?
 

Chregu

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I think it's all about licensing. If you want to license Windows Phone, you have to have these buttons and certain hardware. It would maybe be different with Android, but if you're not allowed to install Android on a Windows Phone or iOS devices, there's just nothing available for this idea.

But if I remember correctly, there was an Android-Windows XP crossover once.
 

Alex Rodriguez Jr.

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This is a very "me" oriented approach to this post. Just because you have no need for buttons, these manufacturers have to change their designs? I, on the other hand, have a great need for the camera button, & would prefer if it stayed right where it is.
 

Coolknight1968

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Not that much anymore. The SOC are the same for Android and WP8. Bios could be setup for the right OS during setup.
I think they have not thought about it yet...
 

Coolknight1968

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This is a very "me" oriented approach to this post. Just because you have no need for buttons, these manufacturers have to change their designs? I, on the other hand, have a great need for the camera button, & would prefer if it stayed right where it is.
Well I guess then it needs to have a camera button. Possibly Android could also use it for the camera or something else.
 

namurell

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Not that much anymore. The SOC are the same for Android and WP8. Bios could be setup for the right OS during setup.
I think they have not thought about it yet...

I dont think it is something that they want to think about. The phone is only a gateway device these days to introduce you/ lock you into their (Apple, Google, MS, etc.) other services that generate a continuous revenue stream. They do not want the user to flop from OS to OS and end up loosing out on their media/ content purchases.
 

tissotti

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The camera button is a must. I have always had a phone with a camera button and always will have. You can always access it quickly and one more icon in the menu you don't need. Also the real camera way of focusing and taking a picture using the camera button.


As for the other buttons. It's not something manufacturers can choose for. Just like on Windows 8 RT, WP8 buttons are forced by Microsoft guidelines to unify the platform.
This follows the whole Windows Phone though process. It's essentially more locked system with its guidelines and only certain SoC's. Essentially iOS with more manufacturers and devices.
 

1101x10

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They should remove these buttons and replace the function with a swipe up from the bottom as they are too easy to press by accident. The only one that's really needed in apps is the back button which could become annoying if you have to keep swiping to reveal it so the apps could be redesigned to provide their own.
 

Slai

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The closest is the n900 and the n9 that i know of. Not exactly what you meant, but hey... Could install win95 on the n900 :p
 

tissotti

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The closest is the n900 and the n9 that i know of. Not exactly what you meant, but hey... Could install win95 on the n900 :p

Yes, Nokia N9 with swipe UI was exactly that. The idea was to remove buttons and it worked amazing. Just two examples being the double tap to unlock phone or swipe from the frame to any direction to get on the front screen was so natural that i did that for a weeks after i bought Lumia 800. :D


I do also agree that the front buttons could/should be thrown away. It's kind of weird actually how light WP is on gestures when Windows 8 tablets are so full of gestures and work so great. Would make sense to add them on a smaller screened phone.
 

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