Apple's bezel problem

[carjakester]

Let me just make it clear I am not complaining about or bashing the iPhone 6, I love mine. It just came to me that with smaller screen sizes, apple was able to get away with the large bezels. Now, with larger screens, a 4.7/5.5" iPhone is much bigger than a 4.7/5.5" phone from a similar competitor which fits that size screen into a design that is essentially the size of an iPhone 5/5s.

I, like many others, sometimes have trouble reaching the top/top left portion of the screen and if there weren't bezels, it would make using the phone much easier. Especially for those who have smaller hands.

I know that the main reason for the bezels is because of the size of the home/Touchid button, and apples need for the symmetrical aspect on the iPhone.

What do you guys think? Are the bezels a problem? Does having touch id make the large bezels worth it? Is the symmetry needed? Will touch id be able to eventually incorporated into the touch screen, or will some new security feature be added to slim the bezels down?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

I fail to see how the top bezel affects anything. It also is where the speaker and numerous sensors are. The bottom bezel is required for the home button/Touch ID. The side bezels are pretty slim and even if you removed all of it, it won't be that much of a difference. So all in all, not much you can remove unless you start removing key features of iPhones and smartphones in general.

 

[RyanG]

I fail to see how the top bezel affects anything. The bottom bezel is required for the home button/Touch ID. The side bezels are pretty slim and even if you removed all of it, it won't be that much of a difference.

Vertical symmetry.

 

[fort]

I agree, seems like they could make them smaller, like some other manufacturers. Just opinion but I like the look of edge to edge display. Obviously the bottom has to be large enough for home button.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Vertical symmetry.

Not just that. There are components that really can't go anywhere else. Would you want the Touch ID sensor on the back? The earpiece speaker must be on the front. Same goes for the infrared sensor to turn off the display. And the ambient light sensor. And front camera (which by definition must be on the front). The only thing you can remove without touching a key component is the side bezels which are pretty slim and won't make much of a difference anyway.

 

[RyanG]

Not just that. There are components that really can't go anywhere else. Would you want the Touch ID sensor on the back? The earpiece speaker must be on the front. Same goes for the infrared sensor to turn off the display. And the ambient light sensor. And front camera (which by definition must be on the front). The only thing you can remove without touching a key component is the side bezels which are pretty slim and won't make much of a difference anyway.

Sorry, I misread your post and thought you were questioning why the larger bezels exist.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Bezel problem? Apple has achieved what every company hopes to achieve: an instantly recognizable design that has become so iconic that it's practically generic for "phone" at this point. Apple doesn't have a bezel problem. It has a major design asset.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Bezel problem? They sold 10 million devices the first weekend. Other companies would love to have this sort of "problem."

 

[bozzykid]

Bezel problem? They sold 10 million devices the first weekend. Other companies would love to have this sort of "problem."

Just because they sell more than anyone else doesn't mean the huge bezels are not a design flaw. They spent years saying you couldn't have a bigger iPhone because you can't use it one handed. Yet, when they finally create a bigger phone they have bigger bezels than practically everyone else making it harder to use one handed. I suspect they will find a way to make the home button smaller in next year's version so they can't fix the big bezels on the top and bottom.

 

[carjakester]

Bezel problem?

Bezel problem?

If you read anything more than my title you could see I'm just observing that competitors are able to make the same screen size in a much smaller form factor, which results in easier navigation within the iOS. As well as if anyone thought if the bezels would be reduced in the future.

 

[Surf Monkey]

If you read anything more than my title you could see I'm just observing that competitors are able to make the same screen size in a much smaller form factor, which results in easier navigation within the iOS. As well as if anyone thought if the bezels would be reduced in the future.

I seriously doubt that Apple would alter the size of the supposedly "huge" bezels when they're emblematic of the look of the iPhone itself.

 

[Hal~9000]

At least they shrunk the bezel for the 5/5s compared to the previous generation. No reason they shouldn't be doing the same every generation.

Provided a screenshot below for comparison sake, those G3 bezels are super slim and show just how much space Apple wastes for their home button on the front.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Just because they sell more than anyone else doesn't mean the huge bezels are not a design flaw. They spent years saying you couldn't have a bigger iPhone because you can't use it one handed. Yet, when they finally create a bigger phone they have bigger bezels than practically everyone else making it harder to use one handed. I suspect they will find a way to make the home button smaller in next year's version so they can't fix the big bezels on the top and bottom.

The baseline premise that they're a "huge design flaw" is very debatable, as is the idea that they need to "fix" them. If the essential design of the iPhone is changed it probably isn't going to happen in an S year and by two years from now chances are everyone will be used to the outrageously, grossly inflated bezels to the point that no one even mentions them anymore, so...

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

At least they shrunk the bezel for the 5/5s compared to the previous generation. No reason they shouldn't be doing the same every generation.

Provided a screenshot below for comparison sake, those G3 bezels are super slim and show just how much space Apple wastes for their home button on the front.

The home button is also the Touch ID... which the G3 doesn't even have.

 

[jlake02]

Not a huge fan of the bezels in 2014 but they don't bother me enough to shop other phones either.

 

[Starfyre]

I think the solution to this would be for someone at Apple to design the iPhone so that the "home button" is on the right side bezel under the sleep/wake button. That eliminates the need for any top and bottom bezels since all buttons would be off to the side.

 

[Hal~9000]

The home button is also the Touch ID... which the G3 doesn't even have.

Yep, and that doesn't change my statement. Apple should simply move both to the back and slim down the design instead of stubbornly sticking to the the front and wasting space.

The 2013 Moto X got high remarks from reviewers for it's dimple on the back of the phone where you would rest your finger, no reason the iPhone couldn't have the same for it's home button.

 

[sillywabbit]

If you read anything more than my title you could see I'm just observing that competitors are able to make the same screen size in a much smaller form factor, which results in easier navigation within the iOS. As well as if anyone thought if the bezels would be reduced in the future.

The bezels are ugly and HUGE like someone's forehead!

 

[jamesrick80]

Those bezels are horrendous, Apple sells because it's fanbase takes whatever is offered...even 1 gb of ram...and I always felt that the Touch ID button was never attractive