The Google Pixel 3 expected to launch on October 4 will not have old three-button navigation. It will rely on Android Pie’s gesture-based navigational system.
“The Pixel 3 and 3 XL to ditch the three old three-button navigation method”
Google has finally released the latest iteration of Android’s software called the Android Pie. The ninth version of Android ropes in several upgrades from its predecessor – Android Oreo, one of them being the gestures-based navigational support that you can toggle from settings. Having said that; the upcoming Pixel 3 and 3 XL, which will boot on Android Pie, will come with gestures navigation by default, and users can’t switch to the button navigations.
The decision came from Google’s UX Manager for Android and Pixel, Ek Chung. While talking to Android Central, he explained the company’s stance towards Android Pie’s design and the new navigations support. Chung went on the reveal some interesting details of the new Pixel lineup. As per him, “the future Google phones (and any other manufacturer that wants it) will ship with only gesture navigation. While Pixel devices that are updated from Oreo will still see their three-button navigation by default with an option to switch to gestures.”
It primarily means that the Pixel 3 and 3 XL users will have to work around with gestures to swirl around the screens. At the same time, Google has not imposed the rule on other OEMs, but rather kept it optional as of now.
That said, Android Pie’s gesture navigation works in its own sweet way. Once enabled, it adds a gesture pill at the bottom of the screen that acts as the Home button and recent app drawer button. You can swipe the pill upwards to open the multitasking menu, sideways to see the recent apps. A single tap on the pill will take you to the home screen while a long press will launch Google Assistant. It doesn’t sound as user-friendly as the old three-navigational buttons, but once you are in gestures, you get used to it.
