Back when the original Alien movie was made in the late 1970s, director Ridley Scott and the artist H.R. Giger came to the conclusion that "no eyes is scarier". They were discussing, of course, the alien beast's design and decided to create the deadly Xenomorph without eyes on its "face". It's been haunting our dreams for almost 50 years now, so that was apparently the right move on their behalf.
A similar conversation is probably being held today at Cupertino:
Should we create a buttonless iPhone…?
Pardon me, it's never "should we create that thing", but always "can we create it". The "should we" stage comes later, as with anything else that humanity has made.
Throughout the years, we, the public, have been intercepting parts of the conversation about the buttonless iPhone at Apple's headquarters.
The iPhone 15 lineup was rumored to come with such a device in it. It was none other than the well-known informer Ming-Chi Kuo who claimed so as back as 2022:
However, that didn't happen. Actually, things went in the opposite direction, as the iPhone 15 introduced something called the Action button on the Pro duo.
This year, Apple doubled down with the recently released iPhone 16 lineup that was unveiled with yet another button on its side: the camera control button.
And just like that, Apple's move is reportedly being duplicated by other brands as well:
While technological innovations are welcomed, I think that a buttonless, portless iPhone won't be that fun. Instead, I'm all in for equipping our handsets with more buttons and I think the industry's decision to copy Apple is the right approach.
Something has to change
The iPhone 15 lineup was supposed to come with a buttonless device in it, but did not. | Image credit – PhoneArena
True, many of us are perfectly satisfied with the way our candybar phones are. They're more or less perfected, one could argue. Flagships are extremely fast, powerful, and capable. Substantial upgrades don't come year over year, but every two (or more) years, really.
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That's not great news for phone manufacturers, as brands try to present themselves as constantly innovating things. Given Apple's reluctance to enter the foldables race (for the moment), it's not that surprising that they'd go for a sleek device with fewer buttons and ports. It could turn out to be practical, or not – that's not the point. The point is that it's new.
However, Apple is not the only player in town that's headed towards a buttonless handset.
Apple will probably have to race Xiaomi for this one, as recent rumors claim. According to people who claim to know about Xiaomi's project, the Chinese brand will showcase the buttonless phone concept early next year. It could be a high-end handset that packs Qualcomm's upcoming maxed-out Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.
The mystery Xiaomi bijou could also have an under-display selfie camera that would allegedly be of higher quality than similar efforts by Samsung or ZTE. Navigating a phone without buttons might seem challenging, but Xiaomi has likely developed a set of input methods to seamlessly replace the power and volume buttons, along with any other features typically found on the sides of a phone.
If I had my way
The Camera Control Button on the iPhone 16 series. | Image credit – Apple
A dedicated camera control button is great, as I've already pointed out. To double down on that, I'd be glad if there was another physical key for a further enhanced photography experience.
But that's just me, and phone brands are not making devices to suit just my needs and desires. So we must find a balance between usability and aesthetics. I'm aware that a buttonless, portless device would be an insane looker. That being said, I can see myself with hypertension after five minutes of using such a device when I accidentally open five apps, turn on the flashlight, and disable the notifications just by reaching in my pocket.
One more thing: I'm totally against the idea of a portless phone at the moment – having to charge such a device on the go would be a massive pain. At least I can charge my depleted battery in a bar, because 9 out of 10 times, they have a USB-C charger lying around and not a wireless charger.
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Sebastian, a veteran of a tech writer with over 15 years of experience in media and marketing, blends his lifelong fascination with writing and technology to provide valuable insights into the realm of mobile devices. Embracing the evolution from PCs to smartphones, he harbors a special appreciation for the Google Pixel line due to their superior camera capabilities. Known for his engaging storytelling style, sprinkled with rich literary and film references, Sebastian critically explores the impact of technology on society, while also perpetually seeking out the next great tech deal, making him a distinct and relatable voice in the tech world.
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