Surprisingly, I still haven't written about the touch / on-screen buttons issue, although I regularly argue about this with the commenters on Disqus. Correcting this defect!
I would like to start today's gatherings with memories of my first Android – smartphone – HTC Desire HD. Despite the fact that in general I liked the device very much, it had a number of certain drawbacks. And the touch buttons under the screen were just one of them. Remember your first phones on Android, how much time did you spend with them! I can’t say for everyone, but I’m sure about myself: for the first couple of weeks I simply didn’t let go of the device: reading rooms, video players, toys, all sorts of applications; the smartphone was used to the fullest. I especially liked the already old Asphalt 5 races, in which I spent a fair amount of time. And about every third track, I always touched one of the touch buttons with my thumb or palm. It was maddening and frustrating. Moreover, manufacturers and Google were in no hurry to correct the situation, so the problem migrated from Desire HD to Desire S, then to Galaxy S2, and from it to the first Galaxy Note and only in Galaxy Nexus was solved by the appearance of on-screen buttons.
I still find them more practical from any point of view. Firstly, the onscreen buttons are hidden in applications that require full screen mode (games, videos, readers). Secondly, they allow you to avoid accidental presses typical for the touch keys below the display. Thirdly, with their help, you can either increase the screen diagonal with the same dimensions, or reduce the size of the smartphone with the same diagonal. The only downside to the onscreen buttons is that they take up a bit of space from regular apps and the launcher. But personally, this does not sadden me at all, because the advantages, in my opinion, are much more significant.
But in the comments I noticed that some people prefer touch buttons, so as part of today's gatherings I decided to ask you, dear readers, which option for placing buttons is closer to you and why?