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

[RONS67]

I hate the notch, and especially so because even in many of Apple's own apps (home screen!, Mail, Safari, ...), the full display isn't used and could be used to show a complete status bar instead of blank space. The weird aspect ratio of the iPhone X display, even without the notch, absolutely sucks. The notch and rounded corners are all great for getting design patents if not utility patents, but they look lousy. Despite its longer diagonal measure, the iPhone X display is a lot smaller than the Plus (yet a little bigger than the standard iPhone 6/7/8 displays), but does Apple point that out in any marketing materials? (Not that I've seen.) A MacWorld editor and co-workers even talked about how the iPhone X has a bigger display yet somehow they had the impression at first that it was smaller! Hilarious (not)
Face ID is fantastic, though, as is the quality of the display.

 

[EvilEvil]

I embrace it by not buying the iPhone X.

 

[elie195]

No issue with the notch, but I’m not really liking the aspect ratio they chose for the screen.

I watch a lot of videos, and usually zooming to fill the screen cuts off key areas of what I’m watching, so I watch in the zoomed out, non-cropped mode. The problem then is you get the big black bezels and an overall smaller video size than the Plus models’ screens.

 

[DudeDad]

Notch-o cheese

 

[eyeseeyou]

I returned by new iPad Pro because it didn't have the notch.

Every tv, phone and computer monitor that doesn’t have a notch now irritates me.

Even glass windows and picture frames without notches seem soo outdated.

Rectangles with 1 notch are the future people, deal with it.

 

[efktd]

I haven’t really notice it. I tend to look at the bottom and realize that there really isn’t a home button there. It’s all screen. Or I’ll stare at the camera system and admire all the technology going on in there.

 

[Iconoclassst]

I didn't like the notch design seen in the rumored leaks leading up to the September event. But I REALLY like the notch now. In my opinion, it sets the iPhone X apart from other smartphones. Historically, Apple has always had a "different" design. In fact, many other manufacturers now follow that design. The notch is the future of iPhone X and anyone that just glances at iPhone X will know it's an iPhone.

 

[woogy12]

I love my notch!

 

[anonymous13579]

For me, the most controversial design decision is the removal of Touch ID.

We see how Face ID is problematic in many cases. Touch ID has none of those issues. I want an iPhone X with both Face ID and Touch ID.

Problematic?? I have not had any problems with Face ID at all. I thought when I am lying on my side in bed and the pillow is kind of covering my face that Face ID wouldn’t work, works perfectly light or dark. No problems so far.

 

[christophermdia]

I don’t mind the notch at all, although, last night as I layed in bed with my 5 year old showing him a video, he asked me how I broke my phone, and pointed to the “notch”.

 

[mazz0]

I’m not adapting to it at all - it’s just not a problem.

 

[ipedro]

Both the notch and the bezel appear to anticipate a forthcoming iOS redesign. Remember, iOS has up until now been designed for iPhones with a rectangular screen and 90° angled corners. It was adapted for the iPhone X but the first purposeful iOS design specifically designed for the iPhone X will arrive in iOS 12.

I think we'll see more of the card style UI. There's a hint of this in the Music app:

Notice how the black bezel and the notch are indistinguishable from the black iOS background. The OLED screen allows for this.

Here are the actual screen boundaries:

The black bezel is there for a reason. It's meant to frame the UI without wasting any actual screen space. UI elements will fill the entire actual screen right up to the edge of the OLED with the black bezel serving as a buffer that looks no different than the black elements on the screen. It's the only time the choice to include any bezel makes sense and is appreciated.

Apple Watch takes this approach. I think that the Watch is a really good insight into how Apple are thinking about future computers and technology which gives us an idea of where things are headed.

Owning an iPhone X, the is the most excited for an iOS update that I've been since iOS 7.

 

[SashJ]

The notch is a non-issue if you actually own the phone and apparently a huge issue for those who don’t or the media that needs to generate clicks.

Personally, I look at the iPhone X notch, and then look at the iPhone 8 bezels...and I wonder why people haven't complained about those nasty and massive bezels since the 8 was released.

Even the Galaxy S lineup still looks dated compared to the iPhone X notch.

 

[HoosBruce]

Never notice it really. It is absolutely a non-factor and doesn’t bother me whatsoever. I love this freaking phone

 

[SpectatorHere]

Listen...it's still a great phone--probably best one on the market. But...I don't you deniers out there. This is so in your face anti-Apple, it's just amazing. They went with a god awful ugly design choice in order to push the face ID. That's not what Apple got big doing--that's silly stuff Samsung pulls all the time. How can you not understand this as Apple fans? What exactly were you fans of before if not the beauty and simplicity and NOT doing stupid crap like the notch?

 

[Finnaqua]

I don't like the Notch.
Apple should let the iPhone X keep the black bezel on the top, showing only the battery, level signal, etc.
In next iphone X generations I am sure is that they will do.
Until then, I will continue with my 7 plus.

 

[newtestleper]

The presence of the notch offends me less than the missing comma in the opening sentence.

 

[riverfreak]

From the people that brought you WatchDots comes

TheNotch(tm)

A commercial grade polyvinyl Notch sticker available NOW for iPhone 6,6+,6s,6s+,7,7+,8,8+.

 

[Braderunner]

I love the X! Notch and all.
The notch makes the X...the X!
It had me at hello!

 

[mi7chy]

Notch is like a dent on a car. You could learn to live with it but definitely wouldn't want it on a new car.

 

[riverfreak]

Notch is like a dent on a car. You could learn to live with it but definitely wouldn't want it on a new car.

It’ll buff out.

 

[eyeseeyou]

I think if you like the notch because it helps separate the iPhones design from android phones then I’d have to assume that you’re the type to stretch fonts and or prefer comic sans or the papyrus font... on everything.

 

[juanjohnjean]

I like it, great use of space. It will be better when all these app developers update their apps to the compatible with the iPhone X.

 

[flat five]

I just have no understanding of why there needs to be a notch. I'm sure it's fine but I can't see the point when we know based on Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Note8, that it isn't necessary?

the S8 has a bezel all the way across the top which houses the speaker/camera/sensors:

-------------

Apple crammed all those sensors (and more) into the middle of the bezel then notched the bezel on either side..
something like:

-----------
Apple effectively added more screen space into the notches in the bezel as opposed to less screen space due to notching the screen (at least, that's how i see it)..

it also allowed them to get all 4 corners of the screen to mimic the corners of the phone's frame since they were also able to do away with the bottom bezel (which i personally like a lot)

 

[Sinequanon83]

Yeah, they could easily make the battery a little taller and just use the same font size as the numerical percentage that exits in Control Center. Easy Peasy.

They could also just show the percentage instead of a vague icon that can't possibly ever explain the difference between 82% and 81% as succinctly as simply actually saying the percentage. I gather the are some users who must not need it, but I basically always want to know specifically where my battery is.