Pixel 3 will only have gesture-based navigation, no traditional software buttons

06 August 2018
This has emerged through an interview with EK Chung, Google's UX manager for Android handheld and Pixel.

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It's fascinating how Google manages to make every subsequent Pixel worse than the previous one. Are they all on drugs or what? Sheesh.

    Noooooo! Google, will you stop copying Apple?
    Why do ppl prefer Android in the first place?
    Because of multitasking.
    The back button, the most essential button that completely canceled anything Apple would throw at us.
    And the also essential home button that not even Apple can't ditch.
    When Google ditched the physical buttons for the bar, we lost 15% of screen estate for that function. Now that 15% is still lost and instead of being functional, we would be forced to waste time and effort on gestures, why oh why?

      • b
      • bmth
      • Kxc
      • 07 Aug 2018

      What about Nokia and Xiaomi that have hardware navigation {Mi A1 and Nokia 3,5,6,8} they are promised Android One devices for Android P ?

        • D
        • AnonD-558092
        • r7b
        • 07 Aug 2018

        FinnishInquisition, 06 Aug 2018So the Pixel 3 will have a gesture based system and a notch... morePretty sure the name you search is something you often do in... pies. Or should I say "Pie".

          I better start using the full screen gestures on my Redmi 5 Plus just in case navigational keys become completely extinct within the next 2 yearz

            • R
            • RaZa
            • sRp
            • 07 Aug 2018

            Instead of forcing it's users to only use gestures, Google should have it set as default, but then give it's users a choice whether to use gestures or old navigation buttons by changing it in the settings. Good thing is we can install 3rd party launchers. But bad decision by Google by not giving us a choice. Either way, I'm not buying any of the pixels this year, ugliest designs ever and only 4GB ram option. Going by the rumours, the huawei mate 20 pro, Oneplus 6T or Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 are on my radar.

              FinnishInquisition, 06 Aug 2018So the Pixel 3 will have a gesture based system and a notch... moreNow I'm wondering if the Pixel 3/XL will have a fingerprint sensor

                • F
                • From hell
                • 6tD
                • 06 Aug 2018

                It's just an interim solution. Just like I allready said 2 years ago that Google is getting rid completely of the navigation Buttons. This move is just another small step towards a completely gesture based UI like Nokia's Swipe OS or Palm Pre's UI.

                  I love this kind of fragmentation

                    Their gestures are bad and complicated I like OEM gestures more like Huawei, Oneplus and get rid of that back button those gestures could be simpler like
                    Tap=back
                    Double tap=home
                    Tap and hold=assistant
                    Up=app drawer
                    Left=recent apps
                    Right=quick switch
                    Right and hold=scroll recent apps
                    Or make them customizable

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • IsY
                      • 06 Aug 2018

                      Hi Apple! Funny new OS you've got there!

                        FinnishInquisition, 06 Aug 2018So the Pixel 3 will have a gesture based system and a notch... moreLOl you’re exactly right. I never understood why all those companies make fun of Apple just to do for what Apple did, the next year

                          Google always make commercial to make fun of Apple and the next year they do exactly what they made fun of Apple for

                            So the Pixel 3 will have a gesture based system and a notch? I could have sworn some other company implemented this in their flagship model a year ago.

                            I believe it was the same company that removed the 3.5 mm port a year before Google decided to do so. What was their name again? Pear? No... Orange? No, no, that makes no sense. Avocado, maybe?

                            I guess we'll see what the Google Pixel 4 will be as soon as the new iPhone gets released in September.

                              I tried to get around navigation by gesture like the iPhone X, but i did not like a bit to be honest, as long there is the option to keep traditional nav buttons i don't have problems with this gesture nav "feature".

                                What's up with Google? Why are they making one stupid decision* after the other?

                                *Stupid decisions as in THAT notch, Android Pie's name (more than one syllable for the name would've been way better imo) and now this. If their gestures were better perhaps, but as they're implemented now... naaaah.

                                  I predict good sales for nova and other launcher apps.

                                    I wonder how Samsung will implement this

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