Xiaomi may be making a phone without buttons and I already hate it

The first Android phone had a full QWERTY keyboard. iPhones lasted a decade before the physical home button was abolished. There’s no denying that smartphone design continues to strive for sleeker, simpler interfaces. But Xiaomi seems willing to throw away the buttons completely… and so am I not here for.

According to prolific speaker Chun Bhai and Smartprix, the Chinese brand is preparing a phone called “Zhuque” for a full release next year. This device will reportedly eliminate any form of physical button for control. The focus would be entirely on the phone’s screen, including a hidden front-facing camera under the screen, as seen on foldable Samsung phones.

Further details are scarce, apart from the fact that the processor is a next-generation Snapdragon 8+. That implies it will be a flagship device, presumably packed with the latest technology and high-quality materials and perhaps a few more tricks to emphasize the screen. But the leak didn’t include anything about how exactly a buttonless device would work in practice. (The header image of this article comes from an earlier Xiaomi concept.)

It seems like a given that further work will be done on the on-screen interface, but beyond that we can only guess. Android Authority thinks Xiaomi could use touch-sensitive panels on the side of the device to replace physical power and volume buttons, combined with some haptic feedback. We’ve already seen that some Fitbit smartwatches and some gaming phones allow for ‘phantom’ shoulder buttons, but they don’t completely replace the conventional power and volume buttons.

It’s a trick Meizu tried with the Zero concept, which also featured no speaker cutouts (the screen vibrated for sound) and only wireless charging to omit a USB port. While the Zero ended with a failed crowdfunding campaign, there are rumors that Apple is going in a similar direction with its iPhone design. But honestly, there’s no way to tell if this is based on actual evidence or just a guess based on Apple’s obsession with aesthetic minimalism.

Speaking for myself, I really can’t stand the idea. I’m all for eliminating unnecessary components in electronic design, but sometimes buttons are needed for good reasons. One of the things that keeps me on Android instead of iOS are apps like Button Mapper, which allow me to squeeze extra functionality out of my volume buttons. I tie long press to play/pause and the LED flashlight, a huge time saver.

And I’m not the only one who recognizes that physical buttons have their place. Fitbit has given up on those haptic touch-sensitive buttons in newer watch designs because they were too easy to activate accidentally. This goes beyond mobile technology: Consumers, safety activists, and even manufacturers themselves are pushing back against all-touchscreen and all-haptic button layouts on car dashboards.

Since the component technology for a buttonless phone has been around for years, I have to assume that many phone manufacturers have explored this idea and come to similar conclusions.

While I’d applaud Xiaomi for the guts it took to fully release this Zhuque to retail, it’s a design I’d specifically avoid for my own phone purchases.