Nexus 7 capacitive buttons and display

Question

So both the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 have dynamic capacitive buttons instead of actual physical buttons. I was actually under the impression that this black bar was a separate capacitive display from the main display. Now that I actually see a Nexus 7 in person, this black bar appears to be just a part of the screen.

So am I actually getting 1280x800 pixels?

Answer 1

The 1280x800 pixels count for the whole display, including the black bar for the buttons.

Google decided to stay flexible by moving physical buttons to the touch screen permanently.

Benefits:

• No capacitive buttons needed (cheaper?)
• Better user experience: Rotating 90,180,270 degrees rotates also the virtual buttons
• Less frame space (the button's space belongs to the screen now)
• You can hide the buttons in full view (e.g., video playing)
• Maybe: Avoid Apples infamous rectangle with a single button tablet design patent