Future Samsung phones could ditch the Bixby button entirely

The Bixby button has long been the source or pain for some, but the button — not the voice assistant — may be facing an death sooner rather than later.

At Samsung’s Galaxy A series event in Johannesburg on Wednesday, we went hands on with the Samsung Galaxy A80 — the firm’s new experimental premium mid-range device.

And while it’s the huge 6.7 inch display and triple sliding-flipping camera setup is the showstopping feature, the Samsung Galaxy A80 gives us a peak into another Samsung design decision: it doesn’t have a dedicated Bixby button.

Instead, the phone will allow users to program the power key as a Bixby button, with power controls migrating to the device’s pull-down menu. Long-press the power button and Bixby will appear, this after you enable the feature. When not enabled, long-pressing the power button will bring up the usual power menu.

Samsung was sure to note that the A80 in its current guise is a prototype, but the phone is expected to debut globally in late May. Surely this little design feature is ready for implementation on future Samsung devices?

And who knows, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 may be the first flagship to drop the Bixby button entirely. Wouldn’t that be a treat?

Feature image: Andy Walker/Memeburn