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HTC 10 to have capacitive keys

Rather than having on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen, the HTC10 will have capacitive ones built into the body.
By
March 29, 2016
Leaked images of the HTC10
Leaked images of the HTC10

The HTC10 hype train has long ago left the station, and now all 3,000 tons of steel and excitement are barrelling down the track toward the alleged April 15th unveiling date. The company has been doling out teasers left and right, with rumors of BoomSound and leaks of benchmarks and specs abounding. HTChas even made some very high claims that their newest smartphone will have “World First, World Class” cameras. The newest detail they’ve released via tweet is that the HTC10 will have capacitive keys on the bottom of the device.

Although the company was exalting the device’s performance, claiming it will have the fastest and smoothest Android experience, what followers have latched onto is the image accompanying the tweet, which reveals the existence of capacitive buttons. This is already proving to be something of a design choice. Android has been supporting on-screen buttons ever since Ice Cream Sandwich, and Google has proven that making the buttons part of a device’s software rather than its hardware makes for a more fluid and integrated experience. However, die-hard fans of off-screen buttons remain, hoisting the superiority of their preference by pointing out that by moving the buttons to the body of the device, they no longer take up any screen space.

If Twitter is any indication, then this feature is already serving as a deal-breaker for some fans who were on the fence about the HTC10. Meanwhile, others are dancing in the streets. What are your thoughts regarding on-screen buttons vs capacitive keys? Let us know your preference in the comments below and whether or not this revelation impacts your interest in HTC’s newest smartphone.

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