Rising to the challenge of building a smartphone without any buttons

The absence of physical buttons could totally change the way we interact with smartphones. — Photography Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock/AFP Relaxnews

Rumour has it that Xiaomi is preparing to launch the very first completely button-free smartphone with a front-facing camera positioned under the screen. Previously, this type of device has never gone beyond the concept stage, but things could be set to change in 2025.

According to the Indian website Smartprix, from next year, Xiaomi could be marketing a completely new kind of smartphone, with no physical buttons whatsoever. Codenamed "Zhuque,” the project looks attractive on paper, but in practice it poses countless challenges for the Chinese manufacturer.