The simplest solution is still the most obvious... the notch isn’t an issue with hardware design, it is software design. Black out the pixels (on the OLED phones) on either side of the notch with always white time/icons in the black. That’s all that’s up there anyway! It would look so much cleaner and not reduce any usable screen space. I’d also say it should just be permanently blacked out in landscape mode where it is most distracting.
There are apps (I have Custom Notch) that let you do just that. Or cat ears. Lots of options.