I guess this has been said before but I want to reiterate it here.

The 3 button navigation is simpler, much faster than gestures and less prone to input errors than gessure navigation.

It’s easier to use the phone one handed when using 3 buttons especially considering the size of phones nowadays.

The only real downside to the 3 button bar is the space it takes away from the screen. I can’t deny you get better immersion due increased screen size and gestures being intuitive (for me at least.

With that said I understand that depending on the brand the feel of gestures and their quality can vary (like between a pixel phone and a xiaomi device), but in terms of efficiency (and maybe slightly improved battery life due to less animations) and simplicity the 3 button navigation is still miles ahead.

70 points

I don’t think you know what objectively means. You meant to use the word subjectively.

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39 points

I have my navigation buttons turned off for years now, so I couldn’t disagree more.

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5 points

Same. I recently showed someone my pixel and they asked if it’s possible to use buttons instead of gestures, so I showed them and it felt so weird.

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31 points

You can’t say something is “objectively” better than. Then proceed to list “subjective” opinions. Clearly you dislike gesture navigation, which is fine, but that doesn’t make it objectively worse.

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-16 points
*

I don’t dislike gesture navigation I’m currently using it but you can’t tell me that it’s faster for switching between apps for example.

edit: I prefer gestures but button navigation (at least on my Poco F3) is waaaaaaay faster.

edit 2: I just realised I wrote better instead of faster in my title no wonder it’s so divisive

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10 points

Poco

That’s probably the problem

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5 points

Do you have any data to back any of your claims? If not, that’s what makes them subjective. In your opinion, button navigation is faster. Doesn’t make it objective by any stretch.

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-7 points

I have an actual recording of using both gestures and buttons and the buttons are just much faster in general. even going back to the previous app is faster with the button. there’s quite a delay to pull up the gesture from the bottom of the screen. so at least on my device it’s not my opinion it’s a fact. I’m really curious about the the Samsung one handed+ mode that some say combined to gestures is the superior way.

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2 points
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21 points

Strong disagree. Gestures are so much quicker and just generally more natural feeling.

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0 points

It is physically impossible for gestures to be faster than a single button press. If you prefer them that’s 100% cool but c’mon that shit is not faster

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8 points

Swiping from anywhere on the edge of the screen is faster because your thumb is already there. Having to move all the way down to the bottom of of the screen with your thumb takes longer. Also take into account the chance of missing the button and having to try again, vs a gesture that needs to be much less precise

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16 points

Once I got used to gestures, I couldn’t go back.

I honestly find it very fast and intuitive.

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6 points

Yeah, despite having quite a lot of accidental backswipes, it’s not annoying enough to go back to buttons over gestures. Especially when browsing and scrolling, my fingers are not down at the bottom of the phone.

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