I miss when smartphones had textured power buttons (bring them back please)

Summary

• For a period of time in the 2010s, Android phone makers partook in a trend of texturing the power buttons on their smartphones.
• I appreciated this subtle design element, as it made it far easier to feel the button without having to look at it first.
• The ribbed power button trend has unfortunately faded into the past, and I wish it would come back from the dead.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in need of a new phone case for my iPhone 15 Pro. My existing silicon-style case had begun to physically deteriorate, and I was hoping to switch to something made of leather for a change in pace. Infamously, Apple discontinued its own first-party leather cases and accessories back in September 2023, and so I started researching third-party options instead.

Eventually, I settled on Nomad’s Modern Leather Case, owing to my previously positive experiences with the company’s peripherals. The case is full-grain leather, with built-in MagSafe compatibility, a grippy rubberized side frame, a microfiber interior, and, importantly to me, anodized aluminum buttons with a textured finish on the power button.

In my opinion, buttons are one of the least appreciated parts of any mobile gadget experience. A springy, tactile clickiness can go a long way in making a product look and feel premium, and adding a little texture into the mix is a subtle design cue that demonstrates the hardware maker’s attention to fit and finish. The addition of a ribbed texture on the sleep/wake switch isn’t just a cherry on top — for me, it’s a design element that floods me with nostalgic memories of the 2010s.

The HTC 10 in particular stands out to me with its aggressive, ribbed key design.

Android phone makers began adopting the texturing power button trend in earnest around 2014. I have fond memories of using phones like the Motorola Moto X (2nd generation), the HTC 10, and the original first-generation Google Pixel — all of which shared the common trait of texturing the power button. The HTC 10 in particular stands out to me with its aggressive, ribbed key design, which no other handset maker has replicated as far as I’m aware.

Then, suddenly, the textured button trend vanished into the abyss. One by one, phones reverted to slicker, smoother power keys, marking the end of a rather short-lived era in mobile computing. Today, whether we’re talking about Google’s Pixel 10 series, Motorola’s Edge 50 Pro, or even HTC’s U24 Pro, there’s absolutely no texture in sight.

Tactility is the way

Bring texture back to the button-pressing experience

As niche a request as it might be, I’d personally love to see textured sleep/wake smartphone keys return in triumph. Most modern-day Android handsets place the power button directly above or below the volume rocker, and texturing the former would once again make it far easier to feel for the key without having to visually inspect for it.

The latest trend in mobile is to pack phones with additional function keys in the form of Camera Control buttons, Action Buttons, and more. As such, it’d make a lot of sense to differentiate the most important button of all — the one that turns the device on and off — from the sea of other utility keys that all seem to meld together in my eyes.

Here’s hoping for a renaissance in smartphone button texturing — my nostalgia-driven geekiness is banking on it.

For the time being, I’m happy to have found a third-party case that retains the legacy of 2016-era Android smartphone design. Even though I’m currently rocking an iPhone — a phone line that has never shipped with textured buttons of any kind — Nomad’s ribbed button feels natural and familiar in my hand.

For texture to once again take off, I reckon the likes of Apple and Samsung will have to sign off on the design trend in order for it to reach critical mass. For as Quietly Brilliant as the HTC 10’s rugged sleep/wake key was, there wasn’t enough volume, marketing buzz, or user base at play to force ribbed buttons into the limelight. Here’s hoping for a renaissance in smartphone button texturing — my nostalgia-driven geekiness is banking on it.