Earlier today we wrote a story about Microsoft removing the back button requirement in Windows Phone 8.1. First of all, this doesn’t mean all WP8.1 devices wouldn’t have back buttons. It just means they won’t be required to have one. Secondly, even if no one chooses to stop using the back button this means that Microsoft will have some sort of solution for working without one.
That is why this is so interesting. The fact that there is even a sliver of a chance that Microsoft could remove the back button requirement means they have a plan in mind. Our hunch is that they will move to gesture-based navigation, like Windows 8 and the Nokia N9. Gestures on a touch device can be amazing if done right. We would love to see something like the image above become a reality.
What about you? Would you prefer to use gestures over a physical button? How should the gestures work?
