The disappearance of buttons and connectors has appeared many times in mobile phones, but so far there is no device in which this has been successfully implemented. There have been interesting attempts in the past, but they live only in the memories of truly hardcore mobile gadget lovers. Now news has come about Xiaomi that it can start again with a buttonless design.
The device in development is codenamed Zhuque, and not only the buttons, but also the front camera can be removed, and the imaging device can be placed behind the screen. The hidden front camera is nothing new, it is already used by many manufacturers, and it has been developed at Samsung for a long time. If everything goes according to the company's current plans, the chassis could be unveiled in 2025, between April and June.
The smartphone will feature advanced hardware, and there is a good chance that it will be a premium product. Development is said to be still in its early stages, but the solution to how to replace the volume and power buttons already exists. It will be a solution similar to what manufacturers have been using for gaming mobile phones for some time. Capacitive surfaces will be built into the frame, or a pressure sensor will be inserted, and the device will provide tactile feedback when the buttons are pressed.
Previously, there were rumors that Apple could also move in this direction. Instead of real physical buttons, these iPhones would just “imitate” buttons. So far, nothing has been worked out, but we are on the verge of presenting the iPhone 16 series, and it is possible that there will indeed be such a button on the frame. If nothing else, the new camera-related button may not be a regular physical button.
Plans for a buttonless smartphone appear from time to time. Users probably don’t really care about buttons on mobile phones, but developers can’t give up on this idea. Removing buttons is a recurring trend among manufacturers. Moreover, in fact, a few years ago, when companies were more determined and more experimental, many such designs were implemented.
Xiaomi will not be the first to release a completely buttonless smartphone. Around 2019, several manufacturers started this project and there were such finished products, but now they are forgotten. Vivo and Meizu also made such devices, there was a model that was sold in a limited number of copies. In fact, the companies did not stop there with the removal of buttons from mobile phones, but devices were born that did not have classic speakers and connectors, and did not even have a SIM account.
In fact, there has been a solution for everything for some time. Instead of buttons, touch-sensitive surfaces on the frame can be used, there are several solutions for this, for example the screen can play the role of a speaker, but there is already an alternative technology for this. There is no need for a USB connector either, since there are Wi-Fi data transfers and wireless charging. The SIM account can also be disabled, most people prefer embedded SIM cards anyway. Needless to say, the 3.5 mm jack and the memory card slot have long since become obsolete.
We are eagerly waiting to see what kind of design Xiaomi will introduce next year, whether this trend will pick up again, and whether others will also start following this trend.
