Technology and automotive companies are abandoning touch screens and bringing physical buttons back into their products.
Even though touchscreens have been built into devices for years, some of the world’s largest technology companies are going back to basics.
Many touchscreen converts may have perceived their transformation as their assimilation into modern technology.
Experts, however, have suggested that the adoption of touch screens was more related to costs than any other factor.
Companies like BMW and Volkswagen are choosing to implement buttons instead of touch screens that divert the driver’s attention.
Tesla is one of the major manufacturers that still has full controls through the touchscreen interface, which experts say is a “huge distraction.”
Copper CEO Sam Calisch is sad: “Now that touch screens are the cheapest option, they are used everywhere, even in places where they don’t belong,” reported the Wall Street Journal.
The touch screen, while it has many versatile uses, is often found in places where it can easily malfunction, such as induction cooktops with touch controls.
The design shift to touch screens also brought about the “sleek” designs we see in high-tech items like those from Apple.
Apple is known for its elegant design; The iPhone has multiple buttons that are almost as flat as the side of the phone
On touchscreen stoves, users found the process difficult after the touch buttons failed, often due to overflowing pots.
This also brought its own problems, even when buttons were present on a device they were often as flat and unobtrusive as possible. That is, while again cheaper to produce, these buttons often didn’t recognize well enough that they were being pressed or got stuck easily.
This change, however, was not only due to malfunction errors but also security concerns. Car touch screens, while versatile, require much more attention than buttons and knobs.
Cars like Tesla adopted a full touchscreen experience, with all controls operating through the screen interface.
A large number of customer complaints, according to the WSJhas prompted companies to reconsider their designs.
The European New Vehicle Assessment Program even stated that for a vehicle to be rated at the highest five-star safety level, it must be equipped with buttons.
Its director of strategic development, Matthew Avery, said The edge: “Touchscreen overuse is an industry-wide problem, with nearly all vehicle manufacturers moving key controls to central touchscreens, forcing drivers to take their eyes off the road and increasing the risk of accidents due to distraction”.
Companies such as Volkswagen have said they are bringing back physical controls for functions such as climate control following customer complaints.
In 2022, a New York Times op-ed by Jay Capsian Kang, Touch screens in cars solve a problem we didn’t havesaid: “I can’t think of a better way to describe the frustration of the modern consumer than to buy a car with a feature that makes it less safe, doesn’t improve your driving experience significantly, saves the manufacturer money, and you get I sold it as a necessary advance in terms of connectivity.
BMW is also working on physical controls for its MINIs, with the aim of achieving full control without the driver having to take their eyes off the road.
Its head of product and marketing at MINI USA, Patrick McKenna, said these features include a scroll wheel on the steering wheel and access to controls via a voice assistant.
The new “action” button and camera controls move Apple away from do-it-all touchscreens. Its new controls aim to improve the user experience with the controls on the side of the phone
Apple changed its Touch Bar to functional keys again on MacBook Pro in 2021
Among these companies that are returning to outdated features is Apple, which in its latest iPhone 16 release declared a new “action” button, as well as a touch bar for camera controls.
Apple also brought back the old physical function keys on its MacBook Pro in 2021, after upgrading to a Touch Bar, the WSJ reported.
The company said the physical keys “recaptured the familiar, tactical feel of mechanical keys that professional users love.”