The tyranny of touch screens may be coming to an end.
Companies have spent nearly two decades cramming ever more functions onto tappable, swipeable displays. Now buttons, knobs, sliders and other physical controls are making a comeback in vehicles, appliances and personal electronics.
In cars, the widely emulated ultra-minimalism of Tesla’s touch-screen-centric control panels is giving way to actual buttons, knobs and toggles in new models from Kia, BMW’s Mini, and Volkswagen, among others. This trend is delighting reviewers and making the display-focused interiors of Tesla and its imitators feel passé.
Similar re-buttonization is occurring in everything from e-readers to induction stoves.
@TheAlbatross I hear ya. My Civic was recently totalled, too. My newer 2024 Civic, ironically enough, has psychical buttons for the heater. The touchscreen is used for other stuff.
I got a '21 VW Golf and, similarly, it’s physical controls for everything I really want and touch screen for the GPS/media center. I can still change volume and tracks with physical buttons on the steering wheel, so that’s all fine.
Kinda miss the Civic. I love the hatchback on the golf and it is a delight to drive, but I think it’s like half a ton heavier than the Civic and that’s not as nice. Still gets phenomenal milage tho