Ready for a buttonless smartphone? One might be coming in 2025

Though sometimes vastly different, smartphones have a critical point in common: They all contain physical buttons. That could change as soon as next year, however.

According to trusted leaker chunvn8888 (via SmartPrix), China’s Xiaomi is developing a new flagship device for next year that will lack physical power and volume buttons. Xiaomi’s phone is reportedly in the early stages of development, which means it might never be released. If it does launch, it would be one of only a few phones, mostly concepts, without physical buttons.

Recommended Videos

In 2019, the Vivo Apex 2019 Concept stood out for offering no ports or buttons. It included a magnetic power connector for charging and data transfer. The Meizu Zero was another concept phone that was both buttonless and portless. Instead, it relied on in-display fingerprint sensors and wireless charging.

A year before Vivo’s phone launched, HTC introduced the HTC U12 Plus, which offered a unique “Edge Sense” feature that allowed you to control the phone by squeezing its sides.

How could Xiaomi replace buttons on its rumored phone? Android Authority is probably on the right path in suggesting the new phone could use capacitive buttons or pressure-sensitive sensors. Furthermore, vibration motors could register input and provide haptic feedback.

It’s uncertain whether there is a demand for phones without buttons. Buttons are frequently used to restart phones when the screen won’t turn on or freezes. This function would need to be replaced in some manner, right?

If you like Xiaomi but would rather not wait for a buttonless phone, you won’t have to wait for a new phone to be released. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is expected to launch early next year to take on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra/Note. It should be one of the first phones to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip.

Editors’ Recommendations

  • One of my favorite iPhone apps is finally coming to Android

  • This astonishing charger takes less than 5 minutes to juice up a phone

  • Did Tecno just announce one of 2024’s most promising budget phones?

  • The new Motorola Edge 50 just set a smartphone world record

  • A new Motorola phone is coming soon. Here’s your first look at it




Related posts

Latest posts

The Samsung Galaxy S25 deals are finally here — some some major trade-in credit, free gift cards, and more

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series finally hit store shelves today, and I'm collecting all of the best deals from across

An Android 14-based build of Fire OS may be in the works for Fire TVs

A report from 2023 said that Amazon was moving its Fire TVs to a new software platform, and yet, an

Another One UI 7 beta will sadly delay Samsung’s Galaxy S24 stable rollout

Samsung informed Galaxy S24 testers that another beta will delay the official One UI 7 rollout.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 deals are finally here — some some major trade-in credit, free gift cards, and more

The Samsung Galaxy S25 series finally hit store shelves today, and I'm collecting all of the best deals from across

Acer just announced two new gaming laptops with great specs and sleek designs

Acer just revealed two new gaming laptops at IEM Katowice, a Counter-Strike tournament in Poland. These are entries in the

The Sony headphones that I wear every day just scored their first major discount since Black Friday

For the first time this year, Amazon is slashing a straight $100 off the Sony WH-1000XM4, my favorite wireless headphones

An Android 14-based build of Fire OS may be in the works for Fire TVs

A report from 2023 said that Amazon was moving its Fire TVs to a new software platform, and yet, an

Moto Razr Plus 2025 benchmark details next-gen flagship tech from Qualcomm

Motorola's upcoming foldable was spotted in a benchmark test with important CPU details.

OM System’s OM-3 camera marries vintage style with a high-tech stacked sensor

OM System has unveiled the OM-3 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, combining an old-school Olympus-style body with the latest stacked

Another One UI 7 beta will sadly delay Samsung’s Galaxy S24 stable rollout

Samsung informed Galaxy S24 testers that another beta will delay the official One UI 7 rollout.