Mobile phones have changed the way we perceive everything around us. Delicious
food is just 30 minutes away, booking a cab takes a click or two, the ephemeral
moment of a butterfly on your precious flowers is now a beautiful picture and all
your tasks are saved in a single device. People have ditched hundreds of devices
for a single metal block and it’s doing wonders. As functionalities are increasing at
a tremendous rate, design factor has become a thing of paramount importance. So
far, the advent of the notch has taken full speed and companies are ditching the old
bezels with larger high definition screens for better device-user interaction. But the
word ‘notch’ has become more of a trigger for tech enthusiasts than a design factor.
Is it an unsuccessful rendition of a bezel-less vision or a design milestone for the
future? Let’s give it a thought.
A device which was considered a man’s ultimate tool sells more in terms of looks
than what’s inside it. It is true that mobile phones have become a fashion statement
and thus, smartphone designs have gone through several changes and a notch is
one of the latest trends in the smartphone game. Apple iPhone made it famous and
as of now, smartphone companies are quickly embracing it. But why are they
adopting an element which has become more of a point of ridicule among tech
critics and fans? The two main reasons are spectacular edge-to-edge display and
better aspect ratio, a definitive 18:9 for FHD entertainment. A game-changer
design element started by a game-changing mobile phone Essential PH-1, the
notch is certainly more than a design factor. To understand what a notch can be,
let’s look at two iconic smartphones: the Apple iPhone X and the Google Pixel 3
XL and the way the companies have used the notch in their own way.
“Having a notch display provides the optimum solution for maximizing screen area
without compromising on the critical hardware at the top, such as the Front
Camera, Receiver Speaker, RGB Sensor and LED Indicator. This design display
allows us to put a 6.2-inch display panel on to the body of a 5.5-inch smartphone,”
says Dinesh Sharma, director, mobile product, ASUS India.
What smartphone users fail to comprehend is that there are a ton of features behind
the ‘alleged design failure.’ The Apple iPhone X has revolutionised the way
smartphones are perceived but that notch was somewhat criticised by tech fans.
31