Do You Think Apple Will Stick With the Notch?

[code-m]

The notch gives you more screen real estate AND a good camera.

So Apple does not mind a camera bump on an iPhone or iPad, but the Gods forbid a minor protrusion on the exterior lid of a Mac laptop ??

 

[code-m]

apple have always said their vision for the iPhone is to be ALL SCREEN and they will keep pushing closer and closer. therefore I think the notch will only stick around whilst the technical limitation is there. as soon as they figure out how to remove it without sacrificing user experience/security, it's gone.

As the is no FaceID on the 2021 MBP a better option would have been a pill shaped cutout or even a hole punch. A camera bump on the exterior portion of the lid would be fine or a taper would solve the issue of camera thickness.

 

[code-m]

Remember the Notch was on the iPhone X, XS, 11, 12 and 13 and is also remaining on the lower end 14’s, so they have kept it around on the iPhone for 5 generations/years before even attempting to phase it out, so I expect the same time frame on the Mac as a minimum.

I doubt it, unless the lid become rather thick, similar to the iPhone thickness anyway.

Apple have also stated that ‘Touch ID is more convenient on a laptop as your hands are already on the keyboard’ so they have justified their reasoning (whether you agree or not is irrelevant).

For context, they also gave their reasoning behind the 11” iPad Pro not having miniLED, stating ‘that they feel their customers appreciate the portability and thinness of the 11” so they didn’t feel a need to bring the technology it to that model of the iPad Pro’ and here we are getting rumours that no miniLED is coming to the 11” iPad Pro again this year.

I don’t believe it’s related to thickness, I suspect it’s due to production availability in quality quantity and cost for the 11” iPP. I believe Apple will adopt OLED for the entire iPP line and just call miniLED a test.

 

[leslieg]

As the is no FaceID on the 2021 MBP a better option would have been a pill shaped cutout or even a hole punch. A camera bump on the exterior portion of the lid would be fine or a taper would solve the issue of camera thickness.

personally I prefer a notch over an exterior camera bump....

 

[Pilot Jones]

TopNotch for macOS

Makes the notch disappear like a ninja.

topnotch.app

 

[James Godfrey]

I don’t believe it’s related to thickness, I suspect it’s due to production availability in quality quantity and cost for the 11” iPP. I believe Apple will adopt OLED for the entire iPP line and just call miniLED a test.

No I don’t think it is, otherwise they wouldn’t have adopted it on the MacBook Pro’s, they would have stopped at the iPads if it was a ‘test’, but it is definitely a sort of stop gap tech before they transition to OLED, which will then also be a stop gap until they transition to microLED.

I expect OLED to start coming to Macs and iPads probably around 2025 at the earliest, then microLED will probably start to show it’s face after 2030. Either way we are a long way off both of those coming anytime soon anyway.

MiniLED for what it is, is quite a decent upgrade over standard LCD panels, giving many benefits of OLED without sacrificing screen brightness or risking burn in.

 

[jinnyman]

I think we will eventually see faceID on a MBP hence continuation of the notch.

 

[bobcomer]

Thank goodness. You can't see it, but just knowing it's there on millions of machines must be troubling.

No, I don't care at all about anyone else's machine, that's their choice to make.

 

[bobcomer]

Umm no it doesn't. It might have "Windows Hello" which is like the wish . com version of FaceID.

Lenovo makes some good computers though so I can't say anything bad about their hardware.

I did use lower case to denote the difference. Calling it Windows Hello really doesn't tell you anything, as it covers fingerprint, facial recognition, locking, PIN logon, secure key, and picture password, and your hardware can have any of those or not. (all can do PIN and password login)

My new Lenovo is an AMD X13 and it's FAST. Love it.

 

[bobcomer]

Does your laptop have a Mini LED display? Mini LED displays are considerably thicker than standart LCD or OLED screens.

No, it doesn't. Seems more like a problem than a good thing. I'd much rather have OLED for the color and thickness. One of my home laptops has an OLED. (A Dell XPS 15)

The modules on your device are probably spread out to fit behind the screen, too, not just the bezel.

I don't believe so, but it doesn't really matter, I didn't buy this work laptop for the camera. I'd actually be quite happy without one, especially in the case of a MBP.

Also, what kind of „Face ID“ does your laptop have, how does it compare to actually Face ID tech?

It seems to work as well, but I can't tell you how it works -- not an interest of mine. Other than trying it, I have it set off normally. I know it uses an IR camera paired with a normal camera to do its work, but how, no.

If you think it’s crap, ok, it definitely isn’t, it’s a compromise and doesn’t affect you if you’re using the right settings. They literally just tried to push the menu bar into the bezel to give more real estate. And they succeeded at that.

I agree, crap was a stronger term than is appropriate, but all the arguments that really don't cover the issues pushed me over the edge.

I wanted it for the processing power, not the screen, but the more I looked at it, the more I hated the notch. I don't use a Mac for work at all, and in fact, the switch to M1 made that doubly a problem, so I really didn't need a Mac laptop. I have (soon to be gone in a trade in for the Studio) that just didn't fit my workflow at all -- I needed active cooling, and that colors my decision on what I'd buy now too.

The split menu bar kind of triggers my being bothered by non symmetry, I hate it on both my Android (punch hole) and iPhones (notch), but I need phones. The punch hole is better, but I like iOS more

 

[Sanpete]

So Apple does not mind a camera bump on an iPhone or iPad, but the Gods forbid a minor protrusion on the exterior lid of a Mac laptop ??

Would likely lead to more cracked screens.

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

They will stick with it until it’s no longer necessary I.e. they can put FaceID camera and sensor invisibly under the display in the incredibly thin MacBook Display enclosure. That might be a while.

 

[The Game 161]

I did think wtf when I saw the notch but its not noticeable at all and in tasks I do it's hidden anyway. just when I'm on my desktop where it's there so not a big deal. certainly far worse on the iPhone in day to day usage.

 

[KPOM]

There may have been a post on this already, so apologies if there has!

My questions are fairly simple. Do we think Apple will stick with the notch going forward? If they remove it, how long do you think down the line it will be?

I have seen some very mixed reviews since its introduction and can't imagine that is a good look nor good business for Apple in the future. My personal opinion is it is hideous and it completely put me off purchasing. I don't believe a notch should be anywhere near a laptop screen or desktop for that matter. I am hoping they remove it.

What are your thoughts?

Eventually they will reduce or remove it once the technology allows for smaller cameras, but I just use one of the stock backgrounds and don’t really notice it.

 

[con500]

Maybe they put it there so they have something to reduce (make smaller) in future releases. like token upgrade incentives (marketing blurb) before going full notch-less. Either way my guess is it will remain at least another 4-5 years but perhaps become smaller between releases

 

[Hieveryone]

I have no clue but if I had to guess it would be smaller notch for a few years, then a couple ugly holes then if we're lucky one ugly one then if we're lucky nothing. If I had to guess will take so long won't happen in our lifetimes as slow as Apple goes compared to competitors haha ?

 

[code-m]

Would likely lead to more cracked screens.

You are thinking on the inside screen, my comment was on the outside shell.

 

[code-m]

No I don’t think it is, otherwise they wouldn’t have adopted it on the MacBook Pro’s, they would have stopped at the iPads if it was a ‘test’, but it is definitely a sort of stop gap tech before they transition to OLED, which will then also be a stop gap until they transition to microLED.

I expect OLED to start coming to Macs and iPads probably around 2025 at the earliest, then microLED will probably start to show it’s face after 2030. Either way we are a long way off both of those coming anytime soon anyway.

MiniLED for what it is, is quite a decent upgrade over standard LCD panels, giving many benefits of OLED without sacrificing screen brightness or risking burn in.

Apple has always maintained it healthy margins on hardware and to Apple a “test” technology can simply be on both iPad and Mac. Remember 3D Touch on iPhone that got replaced, G4 Cube, etc. Every product Apple releases is not a success and can either be expensive or have other drawbacks. miniLED is one of them. I suspect OLED is a better option on iPad, however Apple may not have been keen on its longevity compared to iPhone and a similar issue might have been the case for the 2021 MBP laptops. We know ProMotion is possible on an OLED and it may have just been a case of disconnected product development for iPhone and Mac.

 

[code-m]

personally I prefer a notch over an exterior camera bump....

That is a strange preference as one provides more usable screen estate and the other is only noticeable when looking at it from the rear. Considering most users look at the screen to get their work done, you are more concerned with what other think of the rear shell. ??

 

[Sanpete]

You are thinking on the inside screen, my comment was on the outside shell.

I'm thinking outside. It would make it uneven and lead to uneven pressure on the lid when in a backpack or the like.

 

[code-m]

I'm thinking outside. It would make it uneven and lead to uneven pressure on the lid when in a backpack or the like.

Isn’t a tapered design also uneven, I don’t hear of people complaining that a MBA for example’s design is flawed and causing it to have a cracked or broken screen or body.

 

[EEzycade]

That's my thoughts as well, and why I never purchased a 14" MBP. I had one on order, but cancelled it. My M1 MBA wasn't enough for me, but now I've ordered a Studio Max, and am just assigning the mobile role to a Windows laptop.

The iPhone 14 is rumored to go a different way than the notch, so I wouldn't be surprised that the next iteration of the MBP will not have a notch.

I'd personally rather they go with a bezel camera like every other laptop made. My Lenovo even does FaceID with a bezel.

I think it's fascinating the different thoughts/opinions about the notch on the 14 inch MBP. When I read your reply I realized I had genuinely forgotten about the notch on my base model 14 inch, it just blends in now. Hope your Studio Max treats you well!

 

[bobcomer]

I think it's fascinating the different thoughts/opinions about the notch on the 14 inch MBP. When I read your reply I realized I had genuinely forgotten about the notch on my base model 14 inch, it just blends in now. Hope your Studio Max treats you well!

Yeah, I find it fascinating too. Everyone seems to be a bit compulsive around here, but with very different triggers. It's way more than glass is half empty. Say, I wonder if it is related to introvert/extrovert. I'm a severe introvert...

I'm sure my Studio will do what I want! (I'll get it maybe next week, and I can't wait. I've been wanting a MAX processor for a long time.)

 

[Seanm87]

I don't think we'll see a hole punch or anything as its a mini LED display. I don't think its possible with that display type, only OLED.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple has not lost one single sale due to the notch.

You have zero -- zero -- data to support that claim