Virtual keys -- the new navigation mark of mobile phones in the future | Ainongji - 上海419贵族宝贝-上海后花园1314-上海品茶网-阿拉爱上海

[Editor's Note]: The author of this article is Love to play computer games Contributing author, computer girl 。

How about virtual keys? With the development of mobile phones towards more and more beautiful design, some mobile phones have adopted Virtual keys The advantages and disadvantages of this design make many mobile phone users wonder whether the virtual buttons on mobile phones are good. Why should we adopt this design? This article will answer these questions for you.

Now Mumu will give you one by one answers:

I'm afraid that many people do not understand the virtual keys of mobile phones very well now. Why should we adopt the design of virtual keys? What advantages and disadvantages will the design of mobile phone virtual keys bring to us?

After four cores, large screen, high resolution, high pixel and built-in battery have gradually become the most mainstream standard configuration in the mobile phone industry, another technology is showing its charm on the mobile phone, which is the design of mobile phone virtual keys.

For a long time, the most important thing that people pay attention to is the key sensitivity of mobile phone keys, and what kind of control feel they can bring to themselves (of course, it is best to be beautiful). Of course, as more and more mobile phones adopt the new design of virtual buttons, the advantages and disadvantages brought to users are also diverse.

Background and origin

Anyone who has played iOS knows that among the auxiliary functions of iOS, there is an AssistiveTouch specially developed to protect Apple's physical home key, right?

It is believed that everyone knows its role. As an extension of the home key, it also protects the home key and extends its service life. As can be seen from the current development trend of ios and android, the emerging android is trying to catch up with and surpass ios. At the same time, various android developers are also constantly imitating the advanced features of ios to balance. However, applications such as virtual keys are also being pulled onto the android platform~

The design of virtual keys is reflected in the newly released Meizu MX2:

At the recent press conference, Mumu found that the return key and menu key of MX2 are displayed at the bottom of the screen in the form of virtual keys after calling out the application, which is also very beautiful.

Then many manufacturers have not developed virtual keys, or 2.2, 2.3 and other systems do not support virtual keys. Many users who like virtual keys have installed a software called "bag gesture". The renderings are as follows:

Does this look like AssistiveTouch? Even the operation method is the same~

Market advantage of virtual keys: cost saving

After Android 4.0, Google developers added three virtual buttons embedded in the screen for us. Now more and more mobile phones use this virtual button. This button has many advantages, for example, it can make the front of the body look more simple and beautiful. In addition, it can help manufacturers reduce production costs, which indirectly saves us some costs, At the same time, it reduces the failure rate of the terminal to a certain extent.

Visual disadvantage of virtual keys: space occupation

Of course, virtual keys also have two sides. How should the virtual key be placed? Do you want to lengthen the phone, or just keep the screen size unchanged and let the virtual key occupy a certain position? In a word, mobile phone owners have been struggling with aesthetics and practicality.
In fact, aesthetics and practicality can coexist. What mobile phone controllers really need is a practical and humanized virtual button.

Development direction of virtual keys: MI-POP

Here is a description of a virtual key (also called screen assistant) from ZTE: mi pop. The first contact with mi pop is using ZTE When (now ZTE Grand Era 985, U950, V955, and N880G have all been fitted with mi pop), the 4.5 inch 985 has removed the virtual buttons on Android 4.0, and the rest is 4.3, which greatly wastes the space of the baby's screen. Fortunately, its built-in mi pop has made Mumu no longer tangle, and made the 985 realize a true full screen~

Now Mumurai will introduce how to use it in detail.

First, the computer friends open the program list and find the mipop software. After opening it, they see:

After selecting the screen assistant and hide the bottom navigation bar options, you can return to the main interface. On the main interface, the virtual buttons at the bottom have been hidden, and the screen display area has immediately become much larger. Is the visual enjoyment more spacious? Hiding traditional virtual key settings also shows the humanization of designers. At the same time, we can see that:

Grandma Mi (always called "Mi pop") has been quietly suspended on the top of the screen. If you don't click it, it can be automatically translucent. Isn't it cute? Just click it to realize the return function. If you want to use other functions such as home, just drag it to the left and right. Then we can see its full picture.

Applications such as MI-POP have freed up more screen space and realized true full screen. Another great advantage is that it is convenient for us to operate with one hand. Just imagine that your hand with the "Geshi 10" is not enough to operate the huge screen. I wish it were 10 centimeters longer. ZTE is always very considerate. Its virtual buttons can be suspended at any position on both sides of the screen (not in the middle of the screen, which is designed so as not to affect other applications). When we are in a good mood, we drag them here. When we are in a bad mood, we drag them to another place, and it is a one handed operation!

Therefore, the birth of MI-POP can meet our needs for screen size and one handed operation, and it is also convenient to use. It is a good choice, especially when watching videos and playing games. I thought that the keys would get stuck when the mobile phone has a high load, but it proved that Mumuduo was worried. Smooth experience, real full screen, whatever you want, and simple virtual keys are what the users really need.

Although the emergence of MI-POP is not an innovation (because of the existing software of this kind in the iPhone OS), it seems that zte has sincerely let Mi-POP give a great surprise to the fans.

Write at the end:

It has to be said that mobile phone virtual keys will definitely become a trend in the future. I believe that in the near future, more Android smartphone manufacturers will consider embedding similar software, so that users can have more choices and use more conveniently. Whether you like it or not, and whether you are used to it or not, this technology is changing the development of mobile phones, as well as our lives.

However, the last thing I want to say is that behind the slim and beautiful body design of mobile phones, manufacturers cannot ignore users' consideration of the "practicality" of mobile phones. After all, it is not enough for a mobile phone to only have a gorgeous appearance. It is equally important that it can really bring convenience to users.

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