The alleged speculations continue around Samsung Galaxy S8 which will drop hardware keys in favor of new 3D touch compatible soft keys to perform everyday functions.
The news comes from a reliable person, David Ruddock who posted the news on his official Twitter channel. Some of the claims he made in the past came to be true that makes most believe that the S8 will indeed have no real hardware buttons at all. Most Android handsets including the one made by Samsung rely on simple capacitive keys that are found on the bottom of the touchscreen. They are limited in terms of performance and doesn’t allow more than one function.
However, with the latest flagship smartphone Samsung is planning to remove the capacitive navigation keys by introducing soft keys. With 3D touch capabilities, these keys will allow users to perform multiple actions. Long press, short press, tapping on the keys and more actions can be combined allowing the phone to be more productive than it already is. Apple introduced the 3D touch capabilities earlier and this could be the first time we can use the same on a Samsung flagship model.
While the basic three keys will still be there on the screen, the keys will perform more actions than before. The feat is achieved by introducing pressure sensitive capability. Based on how strong or soft you press the key, a group of options will open allowing you to do what you need to. The Samsung Galaxy S8 will also introduce fully customizable navigation keys. The same is already available for a long time on LG phones on which the company has implemented navigation keys with a modified user interface.
The brand is also looking for ways to get rid of the home button at all costs. It brings in the question of implementing the fingerprint scanner within the touchscreen or at least move it to the back so that the phone looks futuristic as any flagship should be. Despite the changing times and increasing processing power, Apple is yet to remove their physical home button. Most brands are expected to either move them to the back of the phone like the Moto M or integrate them in the touchscreen.
Can Samsung finally beat Apple with the new Galaxy S8 and come out of their Galaxy Note 7 fiasco? We will know when the phone’s official specifications are out and get the chance to test its performance in person.