Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

What do you prefer?

  • Notch

    Votes: 56 30.9%
  • Dynamic Island

    Votes: 125 69.1%

  • Total voters
    181

Flamingdeathbolts

macrumors regular
Jun 30, 2023
128
247
I like the dynamic island. It’s new, interactive, and exciting. Even sometimes I miss the Apollo’s app pixel pals that would hang out on the island.
 

ISKOTB

macrumors 65816
Aug 6, 2011
1,029
219
Florida
I prefer the notch so far, the „Dynamic Island“ is too intrusive when using the phone in landscape orientation. At least with the notched phones I can view video content fully as long as it‘s not zoomed in.

Plus, what does the Dynamic Island really do? It expands to show timers… I mean it‘s neat, sure, but a far cry from anything revolutionary.
+1 here
 

Surfsalot

Suspended
Mar 18, 2023
2,049
2,028
The notch is less intrusive for me and dynamic island seems like an unfulfilled animated blob at the top of my screen most of the time. It would have been nicer if Apple could have just shrunk the notch a little bit more again rather than make it more obvious.
So you have both or just saying that as you have a notch?
 

Hele

macrumors regular
May 14, 2022
102
79
Rhode Island
While the notch never bothered me—I didn’t mind it in the least—I voted for the Dynamic Island because I like it’s functionality, especially when streaming music, navigating, and when I’m using my phone while on a call.
 

one more

macrumors 603
Aug 6, 2015
5,159
6,577
Earth
I have somewhat mixed feelings about the Dynamic Island. On one hand, it already is or can become much more functionally useful than the notch. On the other hand, however, its current positioning needs to get used to, as it is “cut off” from the top of the screen, unlike the static notch which blends into it much better, IMO. In my ideal Apple world 😉, Apple would turn the notch into Dynamic Island, allowing it to stay at the very top of the screen, but still expanding for all the funky animated stuff just as the DI can do.

Also, some people speculated that the constant animation of the DI could affect the OLED screen.

I actually think the opposite - the more moving stuff there is on an OLED screen and the more frequently it changes, the better! What can affect OLEDs negatively, however, is keeping a persistent static element constantly displayed, which can eventually result in a burn in. Even this will probably take years to develop, otherwise we would be hearing about it by now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Populus

mnsportsgeek

macrumors 601
Feb 24, 2009
4,438
6,934
Couldn't care less from a visual aspect. Functionally though at least the dynamic island has some benefit, so I prefer that for obvious reasons.
 

RRC

macrumors 68000
Nov 3, 2020
1,698
2,711
Don’t mind either, like many have said you tend to not really notice it after a while anyway, but when I had my 14 Pro I think I was expecting the dynamic island to do more… but it will come
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jackbequickly

mpavilion

macrumors 65816
Aug 4, 2014
1,461
1,072
SFV, CA, USA
The biggest thing I hate about the notch is people calling it the notch. I’ve always hated that nickname for some reason. It’s kind of related to the hate I have for people incorrectly quoting Steve Jobs (“you’re holding it wrong” is not something he ever said, much like Darth Vader never said “Luuuuuuuuke I am yooouuuuur faaaaather!”) or calling things iTouch, iWatch, iPencil, etc.

I’ve never been known to suffer fools gladly and will let them know as much when I run across them. It’s not my best personal quality. OP, this post is not aimed at you—I’m sure you personally didn’t come up with “the notch”. It’s really aimed at people who think things like smartphone screen real estate is a worthwhile thing to spend brain power on.
Apple certainly thinks screen real estate is worth thinking/talking about; they’re also into giving things names, like “Dynamic Island.” Looking down on ppl for referring to a feature by a commonly used name – which was coined informally, b/c Apple made a point of not naming it (for obvious reasons) – is an impressively slavish act of devotion!
 
Last edited:

spiderman0616

Suspended
Aug 1, 2010
5,670
7,499
Apple certainly thinks screen real estate is worth thinking/talking about; they’re also into giving things names, like “Dynamic Island.” Looking down on ppl for referring to a feature by a commonly used name – which was coined informally, b/c Apple made a point of not naming it (for obvious reasons) – is an impressively slavish act of devotion to corporation-think!
I'm devoted to no company. I don't care what Apple names what, they just make the hardware and software I prefer to do my stuff on. What I hate is lazy, know-it-all, lowest common denominator labels like "iWatch" or "the notch" and making mountains out of molehills as if they're ruining anyone's life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Carlsberg69

msackey

macrumors 68030
Oct 8, 2020
2,876
3,298
I don't have an iPhone that has dynamic island but have played with it just a little at the Apple store. I think I like the dynamic island more than the notch, although both are just fine. Whenever I upgrade from my 12 Pro, I look forward to experiencing the dynamic island more closely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Populus

joscejrod

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2015
512
358
Dynamic island but placed where the notch used to be so as not to unnecessarily obscure the screen like it currently does.
This would be perfect (until camera could be hide under display). Why Apple has not implement that? I had 2 weeks 14 pro max last year but I returned it due to heavy weight. However in those two weeks, I felt DI more uncomfortable while watching videos widescreen due that DJ in more obstructing that notch… what do you think about DI when watching movies after one year?
 

Mikeske

macrumors 6502
Jan 14, 2012
457
360
Washington
Doesn't bother me in the least either the notch or the DI. My 14 Pro has the DI and my wife's 13 mini has the notch I never play attention to either as for the most part I am looking and using the main screen.
 

darkmatter343

macrumors 6502
Sep 18, 2017
348
237
Toronto, Canada
When the iPhone 14 Pro was released, I thought the dynamic island was a gimmick and pointless. It wasn’t until I used a 14 Pro for a month (which the wife has now) that I realized how beneficial it is, like being able to just tap it if a song is playing from YouTube music etc. It has some sweet benefits and I found myself using it more and more, until I went back to a regular non pro phone and really miss it.
 

ISignedUpToAskThis

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2022
333
436
100% Dynamic Island.

I've used both a 13 mini and a 14 Pro and most apps/games seem optimised for Dynamic Island these days. Used lots of apps/games where the notch just covers content.

Dynamic Island itself has some nice touches too.
 

joscejrod

macrumors 6502a
May 16, 2015
512
358
Taking this info from Ross Young (very accurate) into account it seems that this year is the perfect year to upgrade the iphone…
 

Attachments

  • e9038813-21b0-477e-b6f9-3aa22188533e.jpeg
    e9038813-21b0-477e-b6f9-3aa22188533e.jpeg
    40.6 KB · Views: 79
  • Like
Reactions: Carlsberg69

SpotOnT

macrumors 65816
Dec 7, 2016
1,036
2,215
I like the dynamic island. It is just visually attractive. I always thought the notch was ugly. Practical but ugly.

The dynamic island is just as practical, but gets rid of the ugly.

Note: I don’t mind the notch on the laptops. It was just the iPhone where the notch bugged me.
 

dannyyankou

macrumors G5
Mar 2, 2012
13,860
29,927
Westchester, NY
I don't have a 14 pro, but part of me feels like the notch would be less distracting because it's on the edge of the screen. Although the Dynamic Island has more utility to it.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
11,415
30,109
SoCal
I have a 13PM and I don’t mind the notch. I don’t consider DI a feature that wants me to upgrade.
Eventually the notch will go away anyways…
 

Carlsberg69

macrumors 6502
Mar 26, 2023
457
435
I'm devoted to no company. I don't care what Apple names what, they just make the hardware and software I prefer to do my stuff on. What I hate is lazy, know-it-all, lowest common denominator labels like "iWatch" or "the notch" and making mountains out of molehills as if they're ruining anyone's life.
DI, notch or not, haven’t effected my choice of phone or my life. A lot of social media efforts go into making such a big deal out of this. I’m not saying this thread/pole does, it’s a very simple straight forward question. I’m fine with whatever, they both have pros and cons, as with everything. Should have been an option to answer “don’t care” 😅 LOL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: spiderman0616
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.