There are hardly any changes that can made to the standard smartphone design. But while the handhelds definitely work with its current aesthetic, there are improvements that could be made. One such improvement that is growing in popularity is the removal of any physical buttons on the phone. Notably, Apple has altered the home button of its newest iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. However, an HTC designer recently released a video that shows a unit - the HTC Ocean - as having no physical buttons whatsoever.

The HTC Ocean: Its Origin

As Tech Times notes, the idea was first released to the public by an HTC designer, Danelle Vermuelen. The video introduced a smartphone, called the Ocean, which had no physical buttons and instead featured a touch sensitive frame with "Sense Touch."

What truly got everyone's attention, however, is that relatively trusted leaker Evan Blass shared the video on his Twitter account.

The HTC Ocean: Is It Real?

As Pocket Lint adds, Vermuelen admitted that the video only shows a concept at this point. Unfortunately, the video is "just a conceptual piece and does not represent any real product from HTC".

The video has since been password protected on Vermuelen's personal website.

The HTC Ocean: Inspiration

While the unit may just be an idea at this point, this does not mean that there is no way to move towards it. In fact, it could inspire not just HTC, but other smartphone manufacturers as well. After all, there are plenty of benefits that could be associated with a buttonless device.

The Absence Of Physical Buttons

The video, which plays on the idea of a Sense Touch user interface, indicates that the feature could greatly improve the standard handheld. More specifically, it claims the following:

• Quick access

• Intuitive control

• The ability to easily launch and access various applications

• A contextual UI