{Tech sites only}. Not one person outside a tech forum (And I mean literally not one person), Ever strikes the conversation about Bezels on their smart phone. We, [Tech enthusiasts] represent like .0001% of the most frivolous discussions on sites about bezels and notches. That’s a brisk reality.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Other The bezel-lovers coming out of the closet thread
- Thread starter ThomasJL
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
{Tech sites only}. Not one person outside a tech forum (And I mean literally not one person), Ever strikes the conversation about Bezels on their smart phone. We, [Tech enthusiasts] represent like .0001% of the most frivolous discussions on sites about bezels and notches. That’s a brisk reality.
I know! We are enthusiast here but the majority of phone buyers just want a phone that works and take good pics. They don’t even know what the heck a bezels means for phones.
I don’t really mind. I like less bezel only because it allows a bigger screen in the same space. Like how the iPhone max size phones have a 6.5 inch screen in the body of 5.5 inch iPhone 6/7/8 Plus.
[automerge]1591023970[/automerge]
[automerge]1591023970[/automerge]
This is very true. Not long ago one of my friends got the new Galaxy note and I was comparing it to my iPhone. The size and whatnot and he looked like at me like I was crazy.
Last edited:
I respectfully disagree. Because of the notch and the rounded edges on the Max-sized iPhones, the screen size is not truly 6.5 inches. And this brings me to another reason why I love bezels: Bezels allow for true screen size claims instead of false advertising. That's because bezels allow for no notch and no rounded edges. If a screen has bezels and 90-degree edges, as well as no notch (nor any notch variants like cutouts and hole punches), then the screen will be a perfect rectangle, and thus the reported screen size will be accurate.
If the owner of that dated looking device doesn’t mind and the functionality is on par, it shouldn’t matter should it?
Ok so the actual viewable space is around 6.2-6.3 inches. That’s still very good for something the same size as the Plus size iPhones.
Yes I just wish they could have a true 16x9 ratio again with no wasted black space and no content covered by anything. Games are fine with the notch if they code properly to avoid the notch, but movies/videos either get blocked or you have it squished and wasting available screen.Same. Would prefer a little bit of forehead (and chin to keep things symmetrical) rather than notch. I find the 5.8/6.1" diagonal screen size misleading as you've got a sizable chunk of that not available for content. Thankfully, it appears the notch will be reduced on iPhone 12.
Mind, two of the most comfy e-ink readers I've used have large bezels (Oasis being the comfier of the two). The huge asymmetrical bezel makes for a very comfy palm rest. The hump on the Oasis's back (aside from housing the battery) gives you something to easily grip.
Kindle Oasis – With 7” display and page turn buttons
The all-new Kindle Oasis features our best ever 7”, 300 ppi Paperwhite display using the latest e-ink technology and a sleek ergonomic design with page turn buttons, perfect for one handed reading.www.amazon.com
Kobo Libra H2O -
With a comfortable ergonomic design, Kobo Libra H2O makes it easy to read longer in either portrait or landscape mode. Our 7" HD glare-free touchscreen makes reading in the sun a breeze, just like print on paper. Kobo Libra H2O is completely waterproof, and is available in black or white. Shop now.us.kobobooks.com
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I own and love my iPhone 11 Pro, but with developing health problems I dropped it a lot. It’s really expensive to repair and I’d rather keep it in reserve for use on vacations where the bigger battery and extra camera lenses will be appreciated. For around the house, I love my new iPhone SE. it gives me ease of use I don’t have with my other bezel-less phones.
I also have a Samsung S20. For the person who asked, I don’t find the in-display fingerprint sensor to be particularly reliable or fast on the Samsung. In fact, it’s so bad for me (some people love it) that I use their version of face unlock or my passcode most of the time. And I am forced to use a film display protector since tempered glass is reported to not work well with the FPS. I’m sure at some point in the future these kinds of FPS will be great. Currently, it’s not a desirable option. Also, it’s sure to add to the cost.
It isn’t so much that I like bezels. I like that bezels allow the Touch ID sensor to be on the front where I prefer it. I’ve used Androids with the sensor on the back and there are some disadvantages to having it there.
I like that bezels mean I’m not paying extra for technology that does the same job the cheaper FPS does, with also no discomfort to my eyes. (If I have to use Face ID several times in a row to authenticate accounts I am left with dry gritty feeling eyes).
Some people know me here for having a lot of different flagship phones and trying them out has been sort of a hobby for me since around 2017. I knew I would eventually stop doing that when we hit retirement while having college tuitions to pay for. But the rocky economy now means I’ll be stopping the fun sooner and looking for the best value. So now I’m really thinking about what features are too costly, not just initially, but also require more expensive costs to repair or replace or insure.
Bezels with a good old fashioned efficient, effective Touch ID on the front represent a good value to me. And that’s my priority now.
(I do still love a good camera and video capability and fortunately the SE 2020 doesn’t compromise on that).
I also have a Samsung S20. For the person who asked, I don’t find the in-display fingerprint sensor to be particularly reliable or fast on the Samsung. In fact, it’s so bad for me (some people love it) that I use their version of face unlock or my passcode most of the time. And I am forced to use a film display protector since tempered glass is reported to not work well with the FPS. I’m sure at some point in the future these kinds of FPS will be great. Currently, it’s not a desirable option. Also, it’s sure to add to the cost.
It isn’t so much that I like bezels. I like that bezels allow the Touch ID sensor to be on the front where I prefer it. I’ve used Androids with the sensor on the back and there are some disadvantages to having it there.
I like that bezels mean I’m not paying extra for technology that does the same job the cheaper FPS does, with also no discomfort to my eyes. (If I have to use Face ID several times in a row to authenticate accounts I am left with dry gritty feeling eyes).
Some people know me here for having a lot of different flagship phones and trying them out has been sort of a hobby for me since around 2017. I knew I would eventually stop doing that when we hit retirement while having college tuitions to pay for. But the rocky economy now means I’ll be stopping the fun sooner and looking for the best value. So now I’m really thinking about what features are too costly, not just initially, but also require more expensive costs to repair or replace or insure.
Bezels with a good old fashioned efficient, effective Touch ID on the front represent a good value to me. And that’s my priority now.
(I do still love a good camera and video capability and fortunately the SE 2020 doesn’t compromise on that).
I like me a big bezel. Something substantial to wrap my fingers around.
I don’t hate the notch but I sure as hell cannot wait for Apple to find a way to implement Face ID without the notch being there.
I cannot wait for this era of smartphones in general to end:
- Notches big or small
- Punch holes
- Pop up cameras
It’s all a little crazy, the day they can implement under screen cameras that work just like they do now with the notches and punch holes will be amazing.
I cannot wait for this era of smartphones in general to end:
- Notches big or small
- Punch holes
- Pop up cameras
It’s all a little crazy, the day they can implement under screen cameras that work just like they do now with the notches and punch holes will be amazing.
Sometimes I hold my SE between thumb and forefinger by its top or bottom bezel. I have an old kindle that I like to similarly hold touching the screen. These are deliberate choices - nothing gets activated by accident. Aesthetically, I don’t like the shape of that notch. I’m good to go 😃
I actually prefer a bezel over a screen that bends around the edge. I like my displays flat, thank you very much. I'll make exceptions on big screens like a giant monitor on a desk, IMAX theatre or planetarium. But having the screen wrap around the device (instead of around my vision) is just silly and catches glare.
Bezels kinda give you a space to hold the thing without blocking the screen, you can rest your phone on your pinky finger and reach comfortably below the display with your thumb to pull up control center.
I'll probably replace ye olde iPhone SE with a 12 but I know I will have to get used to not having bezels anymore. Then again, all those apps with the important buttons out of reach because they didn't think of older phones will finally be usable. Screens got bigger over time, but they're usually not showing more information, there's just way more empty space. The big max iPhones still show 4 x 6 icons on the home screen right?
Bezels kinda give you a space to hold the thing without blocking the screen, you can rest your phone on your pinky finger and reach comfortably below the display with your thumb to pull up control center.
I'll probably replace ye olde iPhone SE with a 12 but I know I will have to get used to not having bezels anymore. Then again, all those apps with the important buttons out of reach because they didn't think of older phones will finally be usable. Screens got bigger over time, but they're usually not showing more information, there's just way more empty space. The big max iPhones still show 4 x 6 icons on the home screen right?
FTW bezel lovers lol
as long as the phone has Face ID then that’s fine cause Touch ID to Face ID is a game changer for me 😆
as long as the phone has Face ID then that’s fine cause Touch ID to Face ID is a game changer for me 😆
So did you buy an iPhone 12 mini? It's great. I got rid of my SE2 and bought the mini and the "notch" doesn't bother me one bit. It blends into the phone so well that you barely notice it's there.
Nobody actually cared about or even really used the word "bezels" (much less "chin", etc) until tech bloggers started kvetching about them a few years ago. Now it's just become a knee-jerk response.
For a pocketable device, I get it, you really need to maximize screen size and minimize device size. I can even understand to some extent for laptops, which are also size-limited. But when people start bitching about the bezels on a desktop, that's just absurd. My iMac 5K had big wide black bezels around the screen and frankly they provided a good visual buffer between the screen and whatever happened to be behind it. Very hard to see an issue there unless you're just following the "I heard bezels are bad and now I hate them" herd.
I also question the holdability of a tablet that doesn't have any non-touch sensitive area around the screen (aka, the bezel). I have an iPad Mini and very frequently find myself using the sides of the device to, you know, hold the thing in a neutral place without inadvertantly activating some aspect of the interface.
For a pocketable device, I get it, you really need to maximize screen size and minimize device size. I can even understand to some extent for laptops, which are also size-limited. But when people start bitching about the bezels on a desktop, that's just absurd. My iMac 5K had big wide black bezels around the screen and frankly they provided a good visual buffer between the screen and whatever happened to be behind it. Very hard to see an issue there unless you're just following the "I heard bezels are bad and now I hate them" herd.
I also question the holdability of a tablet that doesn't have any non-touch sensitive area around the screen (aka, the bezel). I have an iPad Mini and very frequently find myself using the sides of the device to, you know, hold the thing in a neutral place without inadvertantly activating some aspect of the interface.
That makes sense for a tablet, but only really useful if you're holding the device in landscape mode as nobody is gonna hold it from the top or bottom in portrait mode.
There are bezels on the side of the iPad Mini as well. They're not as wide, but enough to grab onto and hold the device steady.
Besides, I've definitely held this device from the bottom or top on occasion, depending on how I'm sitting. It's always good to have flexibility and be able to change hand positions for comfort.
Seems like this false dichotomy comes up frequently. To most people, both form AND function are important, to various degrees. But there aren't many people who literally don't care AT ALL about form (even form that doesn't affect function). In other words, people want to love both the way their device functions AND the way it looks.
So, I get why many people don't like bezels, though I personally don't mind thin bezels, and I do think people make TOO big a deal out of it when they make it a deal-breaker.
Ummm the iPhone 6,6S,7 all had bezels and the edges was curved. No amount of bezels would change that. It was a design choice.
If the iPhone got the bezels back like the iPhone SE 2020 I’ll gladly go back to Android. I hated the iPhone 6 Plus that I had. I broke that phone so many times I went through the Apple care plus benefits and had to pay for the full price for screen damage like 4 times. Mind you minus the one time I left it on top of my car and forgot about it the times it broke was because of its massive size. I never broke the Note 8 which was bigger but the width was smaller. I love the screen size of the 11 pro and X at 5.8 inches and if we got those same bezels I’ll go get a Samsung Galaxy 22 or whatever.
Unashamed bezel lover here. My 8+ & SE2 are beautiful devices, I don't care if they look "old". Hell, I'M old.