• Michael
• On December 16, 2013

Since a few months there have been rumors surrounding the net that next version of Windows Phone will get an option for on-screen command buttons. Now they get confirmation with a recently leaked partial screenshot by @evkeaks of the forthcoming Windows Phone 8.1.

The new Windows Phone, aka “Blue”, will likely have these command buttons situated at the bottom of the screen, likewise Android. Since Microsoft recently eliminated the requirement for hardware buttons, they are most probably working on accommodating the future Windows Phone for devices without physical buttons. This makes sense as it will ease the OEMs in building cheaper devices which, in turn, will push forward the platform`s market share.

Furthermore, it will bring more flexibility in the hardware design as OEMs will no longer need to obey specific Windows Phone hardware requirements. This will stimulate them to engage themselves more in producing devices with that platform. Even though this is only rumors and speculations since Microsoft does not reveal almost anything, adding on-screen buttons appears to be a logical step for the Windows Phone OS.

Source: Twitter