With the launch of iPhone X, the Cupertino based giant, Apple changed the design nuances of smartphones worldwide. The iPhone X was the first phone to come with a notch on the top side of the screen, and it did so to increase the screen real estate on their device. Another reason was also to fit in their new biometric system appropriately. Soon after the launch of the iPhone X, there were blatant attempts by Android phone manufacturers to pull off the notch in a similar way as Apple did. However, except for some, the rest of the manufacturers missed a lot of details. With the coming of so many notched smartphones in the market, the debate has been a long one – Notch or No Notch? Read ahead to know what I think about the issue.
The Origin of the Notch
Like I mentioned above, the Apple’s first notched phone was also the first one to come with gesture control. With these implementations, Apple wanted to take a significant leap ahead and thus did something entirely out of the blue. The Apple iPhone X came with a notch because it wanted to house the new biometric system and increase the screen space. However, I have been stunned at how easily Android manufacturers have lost sight of the goal behind implementing the notch on their phones. While the notch on phones like iPhone X and OnePlus 6 solve the purpose of lowering the screen to body ratio, the rest of the phones which I have picked in the market pair the notched screen with a chin on the bottom, thus defeating the purpose of the notch.
Another thing to note which has contributed to the insanely popular notch as per my opinion is the massive support from Chinese manufacturers. Brands like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and others have launched phones back to back which come with a notched display. But like I said before, many of the phones in the market right now overlook the concept of the bezel-less display.
On top of that, many other Android smartphones which come with the notch have implemented the design and technology in a hurry to catch up with the trend. As far as I have seen, there are few Android phone makers like OnePlus who have really gone a step ahead and given functionalities which make the notched phone a good experience in terms of UI like the ability to hide the notch. However, there has been an immense backlash from users around the globe who reported that their video watching or gaming experience drastically suffered owing to the notch. I saw that many applications could not work correctly with the design thus leaving virtual and thick bezels on the top side of the phone. Adding on that, the already heavy chin on the bottom, the notched display failed to serve its purpose.
The Next Innovation
As far as screen identities go, I have seen that Samsung has retained its edge to edge infinity curved display as its USP for the premium phones while iPhone has gone down the notch way. Some other unique phones like Vivo NEX have gone as far ahead to implement a pop-up camera, a design which remains in a nascent stage even now. Although not that popular, the phone has carved its different identity. I have seen an apparent trend heading towards the obsolesce of the notch. The latest dewdrop styled notch is the most recent phenomenon which hints towards the possibility. The coming of such a small notch on the phone indicates that companies aren’t shying away from moving on over the notch trend. By accommodating the sensors and the front camera in a tiny area, the phone manufacturers are heading towards the direction of a truly bezel-less display with the maximum screen to body ratio.
I haven’t really answered the question of whether or not I’d buy a notched display phone. Without beating around the bush, I’d say no. The reasons include the above ones which I have mentioned, apart from that, right now buying a traditionally notched phone does not make a sense. Not only, has the design been poorly implemented in most Android phones, but it has also become obsolete really soon and has created bugs for a lot of users. In such a case, I’d see it fit to let go of the notch for a device which promises a substantially better viewing and gaming experience.
Down in the comments below let us know about whether you’d buy a notched display smartphone or not.
