But what that notch packed were essential sensors and the TrueDepth Camera
System which introduced the crucial feature ‘Face ID’, Apple’s proprietary
security and facial recognition software which has today revolutionised the phone
security landscape. Also, the fun software feature Animoji and an amazing array of
tricks with the front camera really upped the phone’s functionalities and it’s all due
to the software and hardware blending with the notch.
But a notch should, at the very least, serve some purpose and Google Pixel 3 XL is
a risky rendition of the notch design. Many called it obtrusive but Google has
claimed it has functionalities which make the Pixel a standout from the notch
ocean. Though it has a great screen to body ratio and the best screen in the Pixel
series, it has been tested that whatever camera heroics that can be performed in the
XL model can be done in the Pixel 3 base model as well. Also, there are no
software benefits that the larger one has compared to the base model and the only
improvements are better speakers and a wide angle selfie cam. It looks like Google
didn’t have a strong argument in supporting its notch and thus, it looks more like a
design dud.
Comparing these smartphones gives a clear idea what a notch can be: a handy,
multi-purpose component or an obtrusive screen element. It all depends on the way
the companies use it and consumers see it. With several companies ditching the
notch by introducing various transformations like a popup camera or bringing the
old sliding design back, the notch in its little time frame has definitely been a
necessary step in the smartphone industry. The dream of having a bezel-less full-
screen smartphone is nearing reality and the notch has been the penultimate step
towards realising it. So, hot or not(ch), the notch is definitely not a design mishap;
it’s not the best one but a necessary one.
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