Volkswagen will restore physical buttons to the dashboard in its latest compact car, part of a wider move away from touchscreens.

In a particularly retro touch, the new ID Polo will even have a volume dial.

For a decade or so, automakers rushed to replace knobs and switches with screens, Autoblog noted in October, but users largely disliked them: Controlling the air conditioning, for example, required delving through submenus while driving, which was both difficult and dangerous. Research found that using touchscreens took longer and distracted drivers.

Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and VW have all announced plans to return to more tactile controls, and US and EU regulators announced last year that cars with touchscreen controls could get worse safety ratings.

  • Skullgrid@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Finally undoing the damage to design apple and John goingToSt Ives did.

    If only we would also undo the other trends apple did, “Treating the customer like they are stupid”, walled gardens(we control your device not you) and everyone’a favourite: it’s in the store for 99cents

    Edit: there’s a time and a place for multi touch, capacitive screens; it’s with unorthodox uis or things with a heavy emphasis on portability and video.