I may be wrong, but my understanding is that that's not the issue here. Everyone knows that all the sensors and what not had to be put somewhere. I think the issue most have (again, I may be wrong) is that the notch could have been dealt with in a much better manner, on the software front. That area should have stayed black and have the clock, wifi and other things visible. Having videos and apps cut off is a bit... crazy.
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.
iPhone X The "Notch" was a good design decision, and here's why.
- Thread starter NewtonPippin
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Videos (unless zoomed in) and apps stay within their safe area. The notch is a non-issue to me.
Besides, had Apple put a black bar of sorts at the top section, people would have complained that the viewing area was not symetric... So, a black bar at the bottom? No way, it looks like a Samsung. People will complain no matter what. It's so much fun to be the one who "gets it" and announce to everyone how much Apple had lost it once a year.
Yep.
They wanted the "5.8-inch screen" spec, and this is what they had to do to get it. That's also why in the keynote video and photos played full screen, and they won't "fix this in software later", because then people will cry foul on the screen size.
It's so cynical. "We lovingly crafted the finest notch we know how to make... beautiful, elegant, and quintessentially Apple." - Jony's notch ad spot script.
If you don't like it what's the alternative? Don't buy it.
Move on. Enjoy it. It's out of your control.
Move on. Enjoy it. It's out of your control.
I am not sure I agree with your reasons, but I have no issue with the notch. I prefer it to a larger bezel up top and on the bottom. I think once people get it in their hands, it won't make a difference at all. Right now people will complain about anything to justify their decision to not buy the phone. It's silly, but people can't make a decision without the approval of others.
Not buying any of it, it's a bad idea.
But the thing is apple will still sell them regardless, the fanboys will make sure of that. I can however in all fairness see the headlines on here if those notches/ears had appeared on a Samsung device...
But the thing is apple will still sell them regardless, the fanboys will make sure of that. I can however in all fairness see the headlines on here if those notches/ears had appeared on a Samsung device...
Last edited:
Too bad they don't give us an option to auto hide the notch like they do the Mac OS dock. That dock would look horrendous when watching videos.
Yea, my sony tv looks like my samsung tv.
How about sony put a massive notch in the screen to make it look different.
Edgy.
But this is not a TV.
And it's not even that big of a notch. I bet once people have a few days to get used to the phone, it won't even bother them anymore.
Unless they're the type of people who look for problems to whine about.
I'm not agreeing with the decision in my post. Apple obviously felt it was the right decision. I was speaking to the underlying motivation.
I don't mind the notch much in portrait, but in landscape the software badly needs addressing. Just black the left side and right side out when in landscape. It's not hard and would look tons better. Surely they will do this in an update cause right now landscape UI looks unfinished and terrible.
A lot of notch denial in these forums
I like the look of it, but people just can't accept it. I watched the hands on videos and it didn't bother me at all. People on here really need justification on their non-buying decision.
I like the notch both functionally and aesthetically. Moving the status icons to the ears provides more screen space, though one could argue the ear backgrounds could have been black. However that brings us to aesthetics. Jobs argued that a design should be honest and true to itself, meaning that it should embrace materials and functions (side eye at iMac's hind-end SD card slot and USB ports). The notch embraces the sensor array while simultaneously maximizing functionality. It's IMO one of Ive's few honest design decisions in the post-Jobs era.
Had Apple hidden the sensor array by blacking out the ears in all circumstances then MacRumors would likely be in an uproar over upper and lower bezel asymmetry. Had they made the bezels symmetrical then that's lost screen area on the bottom. Instead we have a design akin to the front end of a car. How many stylists try to hide the headlights on a car? Virtually none. They embrace them by integrating them into the design. Same with door handles. Functionality is rarely compromised in an effort to hide them.
Not that I think the implementation is perfect. Photos shouldn't be obscured by the notch nor should any app that relies on full screen images or graphics. Hopefully Apple will fix this based on feedback.
Had Apple hidden the sensor array by blacking out the ears in all circumstances then MacRumors would likely be in an uproar over upper and lower bezel asymmetry. Had they made the bezels symmetrical then that's lost screen area on the bottom. Instead we have a design akin to the front end of a car. How many stylists try to hide the headlights on a car? Virtually none. They embrace them by integrating them into the design. Same with door handles. Functionality is rarely compromised in an effort to hide them.
Not that I think the implementation is perfect. Photos shouldn't be obscured by the notch nor should any app that relies on full screen images or graphics. Hopefully Apple will fix this based on feedback.
Denial is not just a river in Egypt. The distortion field is strong with this release.
It's so true... if this was done on a Samsung it would have be torn apart. When Apple does it, it's excused and justified.
Open your eyes.. Apple has you by the balls.
It's so true... if this was done on a Samsung it would have be torn apart. When Apple does it, it's excused and justified.
Open your eyes.. Apple has you by the balls.
Calling it a 5.8 inch screen is false advertising. Not just because of the notch, but also the rounded corners...
Content (apps, movies, web sites) don't have rounded corners.
Content (apps, movies, web sites) don't have rounded corners.
People are free to have their own opinion. You and others think one way, I and others think another way. I can't understand why it matters so much to people. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Problem solved.
Top notch avatarHow'd you guys like my new avatar?
For those of you saying that the notch is not an issue, surely you’d agree that a thin bezel (same width as the stupid notch) across the top of the phone would have been equally non-consequential right?
Why not just do that and make everyone happy? The notch serves no purpose that a thin bezel couldn’t have achieved.
Why not just do that and make everyone happy? The notch serves no purpose that a thin bezel couldn’t have achieved.
As primarily a Mac user, I don't agree on this one. The Dock on MacOS not only looks different, but also serves a completely different function. There are also a lot of situations where it is completely hidden, like the fullscreen Safari window I'm typing in right now on my MacBook Pro.
If the notch is covered when you hold it, I think you are holding it wrong.
Most valid point of the three, which doesn't say much about the benefits of the notch - just there to be different?
------
I don't see the notch as a terrible design decision, but it is not being handled right in software. First of all, having wasted space on both sides of the screen in landscape mode is ridiculous. What Apple needs to do is treat the notch area as a persistent status bar in landscape mode - meaning the status bar is on the side. Black it out to differentiate, which will make it look like a bezel, but with glowing status icons and clock in that area. Then, expand the content to fill the entire rest of the screen. The rounded corners might crop any buttons that happen to be in the top or bottom right corner of an app or webpage, but I don't see it becoming a huge issue.
