I guess this has been said before but I want to reiterate it here.
The 3 button navigation is simpler, much faster than gestures and less prone to input errors than gessure navigation.
It’s easier to use the phone one handed when using 3 buttons especially considering the size of phones nowadays.
The only real downside to the 3 button bar is the space it takes away from the screen. I can’t deny you get better immersion due increased screen size and gestures being intuitive (for me at least.
With that said I understand that depending on the brand the feel of gestures and their quality can vary (like between a pixel phone and a xiaomi device), but in terms of efficiency (and maybe slightly improved battery life due to less animations) and simplicity the 3 button navigation is still miles ahead.
You can’t say something is “objectively” better than. Then proceed to list “subjective” opinions. Clearly you dislike gesture navigation, which is fine, but that doesn’t make it objectively worse.
I don’t dislike gesture navigation I’m currently using it but you can’t tell me that it’s faster for switching between apps for example.
edit: I prefer gestures but button navigation (at least on my Poco F3) is waaaaaaay faster.
edit 2: I just realised I wrote better instead of faster in my title no wonder it’s so divisive
Do you have any data to back any of your claims? If not, that’s what makes them subjective. In your opinion, button navigation is faster. Doesn’t make it objective by any stretch.
I have an actual recording of using both gestures and buttons and the buttons are just much faster in general. even going back to the previous app is faster with the button. there’s quite a delay to pull up the gesture from the bottom of the screen. so at least on my device it’s not my opinion it’s a fact. I’m really curious about the the Samsung one handed+ mode that some say combined to gestures is the superior way.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/objective
I’m fully aware of it’s meaning. My post may have come across the wrong way. I really understand what you’re trying to say I understand what is the difference between an opinion and a fact. I should have put more effort into my post but i’ll put some effort in this answer at least.
Gestures or very big screens such as tablets are faster than using buttons because of the distance your fingers have to travel. Gestures are in general much better(my bad for the title) to use than buttons for various reasons: they give more screen space (that’s a fact) they create engagement with the phone and positive feedback loops because of said engagement. They are intuitive (that can be an opinion since that’s how I feel about them).
However on smaller phones where there is less finger travel buttons are just simply much faster. there is no multi-tasking pull up animation, there is no need for double input while playing a game (protection against misinput is necessary while in game which means more delayed input). Also making big upwards and swiping movements holding your thumb down while including the gesture pull up delay is just factually slower than two taps with buttons (again on phones not tablets).
I know my post came across as quite opinionated because I didn’t put the necessary effort into it. I agree with you though saying buttons are objectively better than gestures is only an opinion since there are quite good examples of gestures being better than buttons. What I precisely meant is that when it comes to speed on certain devices buttons have a clear edge over gestures.
Your post isn’t divisive because you wrote better instead of faster. You used the term “objective” incorrectly, and are continuing to. There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion, or even testing things out for yourself. That doesn’t make your point of view objective.