To say that smartphones have changed a lot over the past couple of decades would be an understatement. We’ve gone from phones that were bricks that could make calls to today’s top smartphones being ultrathin powerhouses, with some that fold in half.
No Thanks, Keep Reading
While I love innovation and people having choices in all aspects of life, including their smartphones, I think hardware manufacturers should standardize some features. I love plenty of little things about phones. However, while testing multiple phones each year from various manufacturers, I’ve found quirks that allow me to hone in on preferences. When I pick up a phone that doesn’t sport those preferences, I get more annoyed than I should.
How our cell phones evolved over the last 24 years
Let’s take a trip down memory lane to explore the largest phone makers from the past 24 years
3 Button placement
Standardization, for goodness’ sake
Can we please pick a button layout and stick with it? This is one of the most annoying things about smartphones. I know that for those who use multiple phones a month or, for some, a week, it is a bigger issue than for most users. Still, using a phone shouldn’t require thinking about where the buttons are.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Nothing Phone 2, and OnePlus Open sit on my desk, and the power and volume buttons on each are in a different location. My preferred button location is how Google has set up the Fold. The power button is on top and the volume rocker is below, all on the phone’s right side. As a right-hander, I want to reach all the buttons with my right thumb, especially on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold with the power button as the fingerprint reader. It’s easier with that button at the top.
I don’t mind the power button being below the volume button. That would be my second choice. However, splitting the buttons between the two sides of the phone is super annoying, considering how large phones are getting. For people with smaller hands, it can be difficult to wrap their hands around the phone to hold it securely and press buttons. Let’s pick a side and orientation and leave it alone, preferably on the right side with the power button on top.
2 Alert slider
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While iPhone users have known about this handy physical switch from the beginning, Android fans didn’t get a taste of it until the OnePlus 2 added it in 2015. Then, OnePlus thought it was time to get rid of it with the 10T, but fans helped the brand realize that the slider needed to stay. While we got the hardware feature with the OnePlus 11, it isn’t available from other phone manufacturers.
The alert slider is a physical way to change how your phone tells you there is a notification. When the button is in the down status on the OnePlus, the phone’s ringer is on, the middle is vibrate, and up is silent. It’s an easy way to quickly change your phone’s alert state without turning on the screen. Plus, it is great to discretely ensure what alert state your phone is without disrupting those around you.
I’m not sure if the slider is locked on the OnePlus due to a patent or something like that, but this feature should be added to other phones. Sometimes, the simple things can be the most effective, and a physical way to change to ring, vibrate, or silence is one of those things.
1 Camera bump
Keep some on the backside
OK, hear me out. I think I like camera bumps. I think many of us, much like with phone bezels, dream of a phone with a flat back and no camera bump. It would sit flat on a table without rocking when using it. Those bumps wouldn’t be the first thing to hit the ground when dropping it. There are benefits to zero camera bumps.
Still, there are downsides. While I’m not the biggest fan of the large circular camera modules on phones like the OnePlus 12 or the bar on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, I love to rest my finger against them when I hold the phone. This helps me stabilize the device in my hand and shimmy the phone up or down to reach different parts of the screen.
The part I think is forgotten about having that camera bump is that it adds a bit of friction to the phone when you set it on a surface. Some phones, like the Nothing Phone 2, are slippery. Even with the little camera bumps on it, this phone could slide off a flat table. While adding texture to a phone’s backside or a case can help with this issue, that bump also keeps a phone from sliding around. So, I’m here for keeping something extra on the backside.
The same but different
I want a choice in everything. I love that phones are bringing back textured backs, like the faux leather on my OnePlus Open. OnePlus and Motorola are showing off fabric-like materials for their upcoming devices, the Motorola Edge+ 2024 and the OnePlus 13. Whether we see things like alert sliders on more phones or standardization of button placements any time soon is something I shouldn’t hold my breath for.
As long as smartphone brands push the individuality of their devices rather than mimic what the “leaders” do, I’ll suck it up and deal with the variations in hardware choices. I like my phone buttons on the right side with the volume up top, but that doesn’t mean others prefer it that way. I can still hope and complain about it.
