Embracing the Notch: How Are You Adapting to the Most Controversial iPhone X Design Decision?

[tuzzanti]

Only Apple could get away with the notch. It clearly disrupts the view in videos and browsing especially in landscape mode. Yup, first world problems

Waiting till next year and hoping they find a way to hide the components without impacting the screen.

If an Android phone did what Apple did, they would be done.

Tim

 

[CLS1]

going off that logic, i suppose the conclusion is the same thing for the home button not being on the X.. that the removal of the home button is a bad design choice..

because many of the responses to that would be “i’m getting used to it.. i like it now that i’ve used it.. etc”

——
people are getting used to it because it’s new.. not because it’s bad
[doublepost=1510770726][/doublepost]
i only skimmed the first two pages but as far as i can gather, most of the posters were praising the design. no?

or, am i missing the point of what you’re saying?


—-
that said, if you really want to know who is posting in this thread that also posted in that one, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out.

The point of my post is to simply point out that many members on macrumors, seem to have a habit of pointing out and criticizing other companies who have made less than desirable designs. For example the Moto 360 and its flat tire.

Yet Apple has a released a flagship device with an equally and or similar design..the notch. A simple case of hypocrisy(but that's Macrumors).

Now because it seems you are the type to take things literal. When I say Apple has made a similar design I don't mean that it also looks like a flat tire.

--


And you are correct it would not be hard to figure out..tedious but not hard.

Let me reiterate that I do have an iphone X(in addition to 15 years of owning my fair share of Apple devices). The notch is not as bothersome as I imagined it would be, but it is noticeable. Face ID although has been nothing but remarkable in my use.

 

[ericbreiter]

The crying about the notch is so exaggerated. I have used the phone from launch day and it causes zero inconvenience. Actually, quite handy to show time and status symbols.

Best feature so far is Face ID. It works flawlessly for me. It is brilliant how it quickly authenticates and folds out notifications on the lock screen without touching it and how it auto-fills passwords on websites.

The 4k video quality is also fantastic.

Well done, Apple.

 

[john123]

Non issue.

1. I like the edge to edge screen on the device
2. I like that Apple produced two little extra windows to put the status and clock, so I can have them out of the way of my content
3. I like that I don’t have the same black bars at the top (and sometimes bottom) like every other phone.

Like people that hate the “notch” it is just my opinion, and unlike some, I am open to opposing viewpoints on the subject. .

You're one of the (few) people I've noticed on here who truly seems unbiased and open-minded, so I'd love to hear a little more of your opinion on this issue!

What about landscape mode—for watching videos, games, and the like. It seems to me like users have to choose between two bad options in that case--either putting up with the notch when they might actually care about something on the left-hand size, or tapping the video to make it smaller but not have the notch. (And that won't even work for something like an game, right? Or will it?) Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks!

 

[44267547]

What? Imagine it like a full one with more room. Eh??? Imagine your new 15" wheels as 19" ones but with more tyre, cos that looks the same..

This is a horrible analogy. The Reality is the notch takes up as much room as it requires, nothing more and nothing less. It doesn't need to be compared to wheels or anything else. Apple manufactured exactly as they intended to.

 

[mmomega]

What notch?

 

[maverick2007]

why people complain about NOTCH! Its 6 years of innovation to spread screen wherever possible. They couldnt put notch behind the phone so they had to put in front. This is what Tim told me.

 

[maikerukun]

I could buy ten iPhone Xs and I would not even notice it on my bank account. I just HATE THE NOTCH.
[doublepost=1510718496][/doublepost]

So imagine the notch being on the side of the phone and someone makes the same case that is it just a reduced bezel - stupid argument. Screens have had 90 degree angles forever for a reason - because they look and work best that way. This is just apologism for Apple's crappy design by fanboys. Mind you, I am huge fan of Apple as well, but I hate the notch.

That's a weird thing to say. Did someone challenge your bank account? Or you just felt like talking about it? Weird.
[doublepost=1510779669][/doublepost]

OK, no this is where people who defend the notch lose credibility. So you’re saying that if they were the same phone except all screen, and no notch, you’d prefer that?

I'm saying that since November 3rd when my phone arrived to right now, I've been using it non-stop daily obviously...and I went to look at something on my iPhone 7 (which I haven't sold yet), and it literally looked weird to me without the notch. It is an iconic design and it's one that I've come to appreciate.

As someone that uses assistive touch because I have always used that for quick access to screenshots as well as hands free videos on snapchat, I find it awesome that I have a designated place now on the screen where I can hide the assistive touch button when it's not in use.

I also like how it looks when playing games, "particularly Golf Clash", it just looks so prestigious and someone like a crown.

You just have to have it to understand it, but yeah, if it's an iPhoneX series phone, and it doesn't have a notch, it literally won't feel right.

Other phones need to find their own thing, and not just copy the X...that would also feel weird.

Maybe you understand what I'm saying, maybe your bias won't allow you to. But there it is bud.

 

[iPhone_X]

Enter the passcode when it doesn’t recognise you, it will get smarter.

So that's different than letting it start over? I guess I'll try but I only did it this way because it's faster than typing in the passcode again. If the algorithm needs to reach a certain matching threshold percentage before unlocking, say 95%, then you'd think if it got 90% two seconds before and 95% this time it would just add that to the machine learning. I'm willing to bet I'm not the only person who tries to avoid entering a passcode at all cost. It should be more user friendly than that.

 

[vipergts2207]

Hahaha. What are you talking about

Yeah, going to need some context. Exactly what point are you disputing?

 

[john123]

That's a weird thing to say. Did someone challenge your bank account? Or you just felt like talking about it? Weird.

In context, it's actually not that weird. He/she was responding to the comment the other guy made that the only people complaining are the people who don't have the X. (Which is kind of an obvious thing to say when you think about it...people who don't like the X obviously wouldn't buy it or would return it.)

But I've seen no fewer than a dozen people on here insisting that people disliking the X are jealous because they cannot afford it. It's perplexing why this claim keeps getting made. It's elitist, silly (when you consider that the X isn't thaaaat much more expensive than prior generations as well as some Android competitors), and perhaps most of all, baseless. There's zero evidence to support it.

 

[Moorepheus]

Doesn't bother me, as I don't have one. Sticking with my 7

 

[john123]

The 'notch' is so overblown it's ridiculous. Imagine if the notch went all the way across the top, it would be a bezel. Think of the notch like a full bezel with more room. Jeez, this is the dumbest discussion so far about any iphone.

Not sure how this has 70 likes and counting. The whole point is that the notch isn't a bezel. As such, it's going to inspire some strong feelings. It's certainly not the "dumbest discussion so far about any iphone."

 

[Sinequanon83]

People are very adaptable. Learning to ignore the notch is of course human nature to adapt to unchangeable things or their surroundings. The bottom line is that it was and always will be a poor design compromise between the different hardware groups. As a person who builds apps and is also a graphic designer, I hate the notch, its design compromises visually, and the work to work around such a silly and honestly lazy choice. Looking at one every day only makes me upset that the company with more resources than God had to allow such sh*&&y design to prevail.
For people who don't mind it, good for you.
For people that hate it, and know it's a bad design, vote with your wallet and do not buy the iPX.

.... I guess ....

This is only a problem if the notion of compromise is taken to be anathema.

The fact that the phone is made of glass and not some supermaterial that's transparent and unbreakable is a compromise.

The fact that the phone has a battery that doesn't last 2 weeks at a time to get it into a form factor that fits in a pocket is a compromise.

The fact that the buttons don't pop out of the screen to give you direct, tactile feedback is a compromise.

I don't know why everyone's treating it like you somehow have less screen. The design affords the ability to get a little more screen that, from any other pedestrian design firm (see: Samsung) would have just been a straight-across bezel. The notch "intruding" into the screen aids the aim of getting the screen to fill the whole device, rather than the screen filling up to the bezel. And, it creates an iconic shape that will define iPhones for years to come, as distinct from every other black rectangle with glass on it, just as the previous Home button design became classically associated with Apple and Apple alone.

Of course there are compromises. Design wouldn't be hard if you got a perfect set of variables all the time.

 

[dilbert99]

I have a pair of e-tip gloves so using once unlocked is no problem.

surely they must cover several keys on the keyboard at once?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

surely they must cover several keys on the keyboard at once?

I don’t even know what that is supposed to mean. But they work great. Been using them since the 5. Just be sure to hand wash and let drip dry.

 

[Sinequanon83]

surely they must cover several keys on the keyboard at once?

Surely no one's writing a novel outside in the snow with gloves on.

 

[840quadra]

You're one of the (few) people I've noticed on here who truly seems unbiased and open-minded, so I'd love to hear a little more of your opinion on this issue!

What about landscape mode—for watching videos, games, and the like. It seems to me like users have to choose between two bad options in that case--either putting up with the notch when they might actually care about something on the left-hand size, or tapping the video to make it smaller but not have the notch. (And that won't even work for something like an game, right? Or will it?) Is there something I'm missing?

Thanks!

For me, video is always watched in the native resolution, I think (not 100% sure) the default viewing mode on VLC and the default TV app are letterboxed. I can’t think of the last time I have double tapped to make a video larger, as it usually crops out foreheads or some other aspect of the video too. The X is more akin to comparing the iPhone 5, to the iPhone 4. It is simply a taller display as far as the UI is concerned.

For games, I have a limited level of experience, as I only really play a few regularly.

• Does not Commute
• Real Racing 3
• Star Trek Timelines
• Traffic Racer
• And need to finish Riven at some point.

I do notice the sensor module (Notch) on the phone, but, it is not something that I see any need to be negative about. As I stated earlier, I see it as little status windows, more than part of the screen that I have lost.

 

[MaSx]

First the camera bump and now we have the notch. Redefining ugly.

 

[PickUrPoison]

The point of my post is to simply point out that many members on macrumors, seem to have a habit of pointing out and criticizing other companies who have made less than desirable designs. For example the Moto 360 and its flat tire.

Yet Apple has a released a flagship device with an equally and or similar design..the notch. A simple case of hypocrisy(but that's Macrumors).

But is there hypocrisy?

Maybe the same people on MacRumors that were complaining about the flat tire are complaining about the notch!

The thing is, there’s really no right or wrong about the notch, it’s just minority vs. majority. You can’t make everyone happy simultaneously. Do 7 out of 10 either like it or don’t care? Does another 2 in 10 not really like it but will still buy it because there’s enough else they like?

And if the 1 in 10 who hates it and won’t buy, is offset by a different 10% who are drawn to it because they like the nearly all-screen look, or because it’s new or fresh or different... then Apple has a home run. That’s where I think we are.

It does seem that some are just very rigid and closed-minded in their thinking. They can’t imagine—although they may hate how it looks despite never having seen one or used one—liking it after an hour or a day or two of using it, despite many posts here saying just that; that after a time it becomes un-noticeable, and a non issue.

But to just say, “I hate it and I’ll never not hate it, even though I’d love to have the phone if it had a full width bezel instead of a notch, but it has a notch and I know I hate it now and forever” shows very rigid and inflexible thinking. If that’s you, have you really never changed your opinion about anything? Do you always lock in to your first impression? Maybe you could benefit from being more open minded!

Give yourself a little credit, you may not be nearly as rigid and unyielding in your viewpoint after using it! And yes, there will be those that start out hating it and can never deal with it. You do have 15 days to return it.

Of course if you just hate it because you’re mad you can’t afford it, or you’re an Apple hater, fine but Apple was never was going to sell you a X anyway, and your opinion is irrelevant.

 

[flat five]

The point of my post is to simply point out that many members on macrumors, seem to have a habit of pointing out and criticizing other companies who have made less than desirable designs. For example the Moto 360 and its flat tire.

Yet Apple has a released a flagship device with an equally and or similar design..the notch. A simple case of hypocrisy(but that's Macrumors).

Now because it seems you are the type to take things literal. When I say Apple has made a similar design I don't mean that it also looks like a flat tire.

i don't think i'm taking things literally here.. i'm just unclear on your point. (or-- i don't think your point is valid)

because when i go to that link, here is a summary of the first page (the people who had an opinion on the design):

• Color me impressed--far better looking than anything available so far, and actually looks like a watch.
• I'm genuinely excited about this.
• Looks great, I hope its also compatible with iOS. Any word on that?
• Very nice Motorola. Me likey.
• Finally a stylish smartwatch.
• Pretty... Me want...
• It looks amazing.
• Now this is what a smartwatch should look like.
• Finally, a decent looking smartwatch
• If the final product looks anything like this, sign me up!
• Looks awesome. Woulb buy
• Might just be the first smart watch design I'd actually wear. I'm interested.
• If (and that is a big if) Google can deliver, I will probably switch.
• -
• (maybe the following exchange is the negative part?)
• I know it's only a render but that is one ugly a$$ leather band.
• I think it is meh (the leather). I would personally take the metal band one, if given a choice

...like, i think you might of posted the wrong link if what you meant was to show MR members criticizing other companies while praising Apple..
i mean, i see F A R more members criticizing Apple than what i'm seeing in the Motorola thread.. i can't think of the last time i saw that amount of praise for something Apple made around here.. probably never



---------
[edit] wait, what??
you've been a member here for two weeks.
hmm..

 

[iLLUMI]

The iPhone X is still top notch!
It's a cut above.
It's notch'ur average phone.
But seriously, people have to ask, do they really want bezels? That's the choice... bezels or notch.
I prefer the notch.
One day there may no longer be a notch, technology is always advancing, but until that day .... "let us embrace the notch".

 

[john123]

For me, video is always watched in the native resolution, I think (not 100% sure) the default viewing mode on VLC and the default TV app are letterboxed. I can’t think of the last time I have double tapped to make a video larger, as it usually crops out foreheads or some other aspect of the video too. The X is more akin to comparing the iPhone 5, to the iPhone 4. It is simply a taller display as far as the UI is concerned.

For games, I have a limited level of experience, as I only really play a few regularly.

• Does not Commute
• Real Racing 3
• Star Trek Timelines
• Traffic Racer
• And need to finish Riven at some point.

I do notice the sensor module (Notch) on the phone, but, it is not something that I see any need to be negative about. As I stated earlier, I see it as little status windows, more than part of the screen that I have lost.

Thanks for the input!

As for the status window concept, I totally agree with you. I don't understand why people would have an issue with the notch in portrait mode, except perhaps if you're scrolling through photos. But for everyday home screen stuff, it seems great.

As for the games questions, I'm unfortunately not familiar with those (although I should give Timelines a shot as I'm a huge Trekkie). Anyway, how do they handle the notch? Is part of the game simply cropped out?

What happens if there is a game requiring pressing something on the middle of the left-hand side in landscape?

Thanks again!
[doublepost=1510792401][/doublepost]

But is there hypocrisy?

Maybe the same people on MacRumors that were complaining about the flat tire are complaining about the notch!

The thing is, there’s really no right or wrong about the notch, it’s just minority vs. majority. You can’t make everyone happy simultaneously. Do 7 out of 10 either like it or don’t care? Does another 2 in 10 not really like it but will still buy it because there’s enough else they like?

And if the 1 in 10 who hates it and won’t buy, is offset by a different 10% who are drawn to it because they like the nearly all-screen look, or because it’s new or fresh or different... then Apple has a home run. That’s where I think we are.

It does seem that some are just very rigid and closed-minded in their thinking. They can’t imagine—although they may hate how it looks despite never having seen one or used one—liking it after an hour or a day or two of using it, despite many posts here saying just that; that after a time it becomes un-noticeable, and a non issue.

But to just say, “I hate it and I’ll never not hate it, even though I’d love to have the phone if it had a full width bezel instead of a notch, but it has a notch and I know I hate it now and forever” shows very rigid and inflexible thinking. If that’s you, have you really never changed your opinion about anything? Do you always lock in to your first impression? Maybe you could benefit from being more open minded!

Give yourself a little credit, you may not be nearly as rigid and unyielding in your viewpoint after using it! And yes, there will be those that start out hating it and can never deal with it. You do have 15 days to return it.

Of course if you just hate it because you’re mad you can’t afford it, or you’re an Apple hater, fine but Apple was never was going to sell you a X anyway, and your opinion is irrelevant.

This is a well written post and an appeal to something we need more of around here and in the world at large: open-minded thinking. I'm so very, very tired of the intransigence I read on here--both from the pro-Apple and the anti-Apple crowd. It cracks me up that I've been called both an Apple shill and an Apple hater. That tells me I'm doing something right!

I appreciate that your last paragraph used the word "if." I've found it irritating that some people on here have implied that if you take issue with the device, the decisions leading to its design, or anything about Apple that these feelings are motivated by inability to afford the iPhone. In a world where many smartphones are already quite expensive and where low-income consumers get lured in by monthly payment plans anyway, I suspect the "I hate it because I can't afford it" crowd is actually rather small.

 

[840quadra]

Thanks for the input!

As for the status window concept, I totally agree with you. I don't understand why people would have an issue with the notch in portrait mode, except perhaps if you're scrolling through photos. But for everyday home screen stuff, it seems great.

As for the games questions, I'm unfortunately not familiar with those (although I should give Timelines a shot as I'm a huge Trekkie). Anyway, how do they handle the notch? Is part of the game simply cropped out?

What happens if there is a game requiring pressing something on the middle of the left-hand side in landscape?

Thanks again!

Going through photos taken on the device or externally, I don't run into issues with the notched area of the screen. The photos are displayed full first, and I only encounter that part of the screen if I decide to pixel peep while using that application.



On games, sorry I forgot to go into detail on those. All of the games appear to be following Apple's guidelines, or may be using interface builder for the 6/7/8 phones still and haven't been updated to take advantage of the extra screen space. Because of that, I have not run into any control issues as of yet.




My video editing application appears to have been updated to take advantage of the extra width, giving me more space for timeline edits and control as opposed to the iPhone 6/7/8 version of the UI where it is a narrower rectangle. in this example the sensor array is on the Right hand side of the image.

 

[blackdogaudio]

iPhone X owners' answer say a lot about how bad this design choice is. Most of them say they are getting used to it, that it doesn't bother them that much, that it only bothers those who don't own one... Well of course! Because it IS a terrible choice, because it DOES make it look much worse that if they had made the choice to keep a thin black bar at the top. Of course, when spending a minimum of 999 dollars on such a product, you'll get "used" to it, you'd better. Rationalizing the faults of a pricy product you bought is a common compensatory behavior. You're not going to go around saying, "man I spent 999 bucks on an iPhone X but, GOD it looks weird... Thankfully I'm starting to get used to that terrible notch". People seeing the product on occasions or first time will almost all have the same reaction: it just looks wrong. Now i saw the phone and the rest does look amazing, but this notch is just so so weird. A terrible choice.

Alternatively...most of the X owners walked up to the X, had no problem with The Notch, bought the X and lived happily ever after while The Rest anxiously awaited The Next Overblown Non-Issue to fester and pop into Nothingness.

Night, night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.