The new Android era, software differences...

[Gearu]

I'd like to see manufacturers think about where they place volume buttons relative to the headphone jacks.

Basically this. And personally I won't buy a phone with the power button on the top because I like to use a neoprene 'case' with the opening slit down the side, for me it offers the perfect protection and access combination.

 

[RichSz]

Basically this. And personally I won't buy a phone with the power button on the top because I like to use a neoprene 'case' with the opening slit down the side, for me it offers the perfect protection and access combination.

You have earned my respect because almost nobody seems to get that one. I've whined about it for several years and most comments sum up to "who cares?". It's little things like that which streamline the user's experience.

To sum it up for those who haven't heard my rant yet: If the headphone jack is on the same side of the phone as the volume buttons, then when put into a belt pouch, you can change the volume without removing the phone. The side of the phone which has the headphone jack is always on top of a pouch by necessity. Just think about it for a second.

I totally agree with power buttons on the side too. Even without a pouch, it's so much easier to turn a large screen on and off if the button is on the side. It's just a flex of the thumb or finger.

Ergonomics!!

 

[jmt9779]

You have earned my respect because almost nobody seems to get that one. I've whined about it for several years and most comments sum up to "who cares?". It's little things like that which streamline the user's experience.

To sum it up for those who haven't heard my rant yet: If the headphone jack is on the same side of the phone as the volume buttons, then when put into a belt pouch, you can change the volume without removing the phone. The side of the phone which has the headphone jack is always on top of a pouch by necessity. Just think about it for a second.

I totally agree with power buttons on the side too. Even without a pouch, it's so much easier to turn a large screen on and off if the button is on the side. It's just a flex of the thumb or finger.

Ergonomics!!

I totally get what you (and a few others) are saying. Ergonomics are a huge part of the decision to buy...well...anything! But you don't see any of these phone manufacturers touting volume rocker location as a big selling point when their competitors are talking up their screen size and micro SD slots and stuff. (Also, what may be ergonomic for you may not be for the guy sitting next to you...Especially if one of you is right-handed and the other is left-handed.) Every phone has a power button. They don't all have Super AMOLED screens or SD card slots or sharks with laser beams attached to their heads

That's all I'm tryin' to say. There's only so much the manufacturers can do to differentiate themselves from the competition with hardware at this point. The average John Doe walks into a cell phone store, looks at the lineup and thinks "they all look the same". There's a fine line between "innovation" and "fad/gimmick". I'm sure at some point someone will come out with a gamechanger that everyone else will copy or try to one-up, but until then, it's just tough to get excited about more megapixels than I need or stuff like that.

Just my $0.02.