I don't think those are the only considerations for designers. An app designer doesn't have a vested interest in making the phone seem more bezelless; that's a goal for the hardware designers. An app designer might, however, want to embrace the ears to make their canvas seem larger than the competition's, even if there's nothing meaningful on that extended canvas. It's little different than an interior decorator choosing colors and arranging furniture to make a small room seem larger.
Along similar lines, it's like an architect deciding how deeply-set a room's windows are - should they be flush with the inside wall, or be closer to the outside wall? This has no impact on the room's floor space, but a deep sill can accommodate potted plants that might otherwise be placed on tables that do clutter the interior space. Even sans foliage, the window panes, rather than surrounding walls, become the perceived boundary, generating the illusion of greater space. Conversely, a window wall or shallow-set windows add to the illusion of proximity to the outdoors.
