'iPhone X' Split Status Bar Leak Shows Off Animated Battery Icon and Screen Recording Indicator

[vladi]

I love these changes, and embrace the notch. It’s brilliant, really. It gives you the ability to have those notifications and clock etc while simultaneously not eating into the full horizontal screen-only real estate below.

This is such a smart choice I can’t see how anyone is annoyed by it. You lose so much space on the Galaxy S8 etc because Samsung didn’t design theirs as well as Apple.

It seems like the haters here would prefer to have less screen size and have no notch, but the status bar below the sensors. Madness.

Header bar should never have app notifications on it in the first place. Header is there to let you know if you are connected to network, have Wi-Fi turned on, have Bluetooth, NFC, tethering, hotspot, flashlight and other system functions on or off. You get the idea.

Apple has header system broken anyway. You have notification icons on the header but you can't get to their functionality. Just until recently you had to go to Settings app to deal with them which is completely wrong flow. They solved that with control center but that is such a crude workaround that goes completely against everything Apple has built with their OS. And yet you still need to go to Settings app to make adjustments.

Both iOS and Android got the Header bar functionality completely wrong.

 

[macs4nw]

It is absolutely true. Everyone I know who uses an iPhone, at work, friends and relatives, they all complain about the camera bump........... NOT.
People care about how good the pictures they take are. In fact if there is any complain I have really heard about the iPhone in term of design is about these super thick bezels. I think It is a very very small minority of people who are quite sensitive to little details who are bothered by camera bump.

Not intending to get into a futile, protracted discussion about what a dead person might have, could have or should have done other than to note that while known to have been a fervent perfectionist who not only cared about what could be observed about a design but also the things that one couldn't readily see such as the backs or innards, Steve was also known to be a pragmatist, who in the end could compromise for the greater good of the product in the way of better specifications, greater appeal or increased utility.

Prime examples of this were the switch from the much faster FireWire protocol to the slower, but more ubiquitous USB connectivity for uploading content to those early iPods as well as his reversal on his original stance on that one-and-only 'perfect' 9.7" iPad size, to the addition of a 7.9" model.

So while I'm still having a hard time imagining it, who knows, the camera bump might have been something falling in that 'pragmatist' category, he could have grudgingly gone with.

 

[scoobydoo99]

More I see the notch, more I love it. Never got why would anyone hate it. It is classic bare minimum information and relevance is maintained. We don't need to see the name of our network, we need to know the quality of signal - it's there. Time turning red and green with a bubble - awesome! Can't wait to get my hands on this thing in India.

Design limitations as well as Apple's own adorned limitations (read offering just a couple or more updates and upgrades per device and reserve the next for the next year) might have prevented from from doing this so far. the "notch" simply eliminates all unnecessary space and all sensors can be hid within it without making anything look off and odd.

It's really good. Saves on a lot of screen space that way.

Saves on screen space for WHAT? I need my OS to communicate important information to me in an intuitive, obvious way - that's what the screen space is for!

Re: network identification - sounds like you don't travel internationally. I need to know when I'm connected to O2, Orange, etc. But beyond that, "classic bare minimum information" should not be the goal of any competent designer. Intuitive design that makes interpreting information less cognitively demanding should be the goal. Unfortunately, Apple designers have famously ignored good design tenets for at least the last several years. The red and green time is a perfect example. What was once obvious is now obscure, requiring specific cognitive attention and processing to identify. It's still surprising to me how many people will defend bad design as long as it's "new" and "smaller/lighter/less screen space".

 

[RedCloud2017]

So far I don't love the notch but I don't hate it either. I'll have to see it in person to make up my mind.

Nothing is as bad as curving displays in my book anyway. Can't fathom how that is tolerated, let alone considered good design.

 

[deckard666]

So far I don't love the notch but I don't hate it either. I'll have to see it in person to make up my mind.

Nothing is as bad as curving displays in my book anyway. Can't fathom how that is tolerated, let alone considered good design.

Totally agreed and even more stupid on a TV.

 

[scoobydoo99]

So while I'm still having a hard time imagining it, who knows, the camera bump might have been something falling in that 'pragmatist' category, he could have grudgingly gone with.

Doubtful. Steve famously believed that customers don't know what they want until Apple tells them. This is still true. The problem is, Apple now tells them they want bad design. And people love it, defend it, and claim that anyone who believes otherwise is a "hater". The camera protrusion is basically shrinking down the chassis until internal elements (camera lens) protrude in an inelegant and obtrusive way. It's impossible to type on the phone without it wobbling on the surface upon which it rests. This compromise was not worth the gains in thinness, especially when the pursuit of ever-thinner iPhone is dubious in itself. Without intending to provoke the ire of current Apple defenders, I'd have to say "he" would never have agreed to it.

 

[ddkkpp]

Wish they moved the breadcrumb icon to the bottom of the phone. It's in the top left hand corner, for me (I'm right handed) it's the hardest icon to hit. Double pressing home is easier (if a little slower).

 

[macintoshmac]

Re: network identification - sounds like you don't travel internationally. I need to know when I'm connected to O2, Orange, etc. But beyond that, "classic bare minimum information" should not be the goal of any competent designer. Intuitive design that makes interpreting information less cognitively demanding should be the goal.

Re: Bold
Good catch. I do not travel internationally. And when I do travel nationally, if I am to be concerned with what network I am to or not to latch on, I will use Settings app. But again, this info may or may not be important to a lot of people, as you pointed out. Good catch.

Re: Italics
Again, you are right so far as the goal is concerned. Respect.

We do not know for sure what Apple will do and how. So, no real use bickering over rumours till they turn true straight from the horse's mouth. That said, my posts are only my personal takes on the issues and not a generalisation to the masses. I know each and everyone has their own unique uses and requirements for the same piece of hardware and software.

On another note, I really, really love your user handle, so please don't mind, but Scooby Dooby Dooooooo!!

 

[Williesleg]

You're fine. They don't store your fingerprint; just a mathematical hash that can't be reversed into your actual fingerprint. Check the first paragraph under Secure Enclave from Apple's support document here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204587

I would imagine it will be the same with your face. 3D face scan will generate more data points to produce a hash.

Oh, I'm sure, just as they've been scanning my photos library on OS X Sierra looking for faces and uploading them in the background. Even when photos is quit, wonder why?

 

[bluespark]

Well, I gotta hand it to you, that's a reasonable explanation, doesn't make the bumps less ugly, but it's a possible thought process Ive and Co could have entertained.

I personally continue to believe Apple chose to compromise aesthetics for a thinner phone and a better camera.

Thanks. BTW, I also agree with your second sentence, and it's not inconsistent with what I said. Apple chose a camera of a certain quality level, and that module can't be made thinner without unacceptable compromises. (I'm not an expert on camera design -- this is based on what I've read.) Apple also desires thinness. And when the phone is viewed without a case, the aesthetic compromise is evident. My point is that this choice makes sense from a design perspective because most people use cases and the case facilitates Apple's decision on this issue.

Put differently, design isn't all about aesthetics -- or even primarily about aesthetics. Good design is often about making the right tradeoffs to end up with a device that is both as simple and as capable as possible. Here, one of the main decision points Apple faced was the fact that most people use cases. This fact alone is enough to sway the design analysis in favor of allowing the camera to protrude, rather than to thicken the phone body itself. Apple wanted to take advantage of the space that's available in the typical case's camera cutout.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

But the iPhone X can be essentially full screen while e.g. browsing in Safari and STILL show the time/battery etc which is situated around the sensors at the top. Doesn't need to be in some "full screen" mode. It's always full screen! On the Galaxy S8, you have wasted space to the left and right of the earpiece/sensors. It's funny how the S8 already looks dated to me with that huge bezel after seeing the new iPhone.

I'm not following this logic. Based on all of the leaks I've read so far, the iPhone X will have 5.8" screen size, just like the S8. So, they're exactly the same size displays, except with the S8 you can have apps and games full screen, while on the iPhone X you have an area reserved for time and battery that takes away from the display. Again, the displays are identical sizes, you just have less of it available to you on the iPhone X.

Yes, you have smaller bezels, and that is nice, but in exchange for smaller bezels you give up a notch in the top of the screen which makes for less space when viewing things like games that would use the full screen.

I think the iPhone X looks great, and I'm not complaining. I just don't follow your logic because based on my observation the S8 has more usable real estate. But I'm anxious to see them side-by-side to compare.

 

[Gameboy70]

So on a Mac the time is on the right, which we are all so used to automatically glancing at, yet on iOS it's on the left? Rather strange lack of continuity there!

The Mac uses the left side for the menu of the application in focus. There's no equivalent concept on the iPhone.

 

[inteliboy]

Are you lot ever happy?

Go back to the history on any Apple product launch, ever - and this site is full of people complaining. Bunch of grumpy whiny know-it-alls.

Here Apple turned the entire face of the phone into a screen, par an area for sensors, and somehow this is "the epitome of bad design". Yeah ok.

It looks great to me, and a breath of fresh air to have NO chins. Futuristic. Something no other company has attempted to do successfully. And I've never understood Samsungs free pass year after year of everyone loving their hardware design, with their misaligned ports, buttons and screws, the ugly front logo, gimmicky tapered screen, and now these awkwardly ratio'd mini-chins. I guess it's just more fun to hate on anything that Apple does for some reason.

 

[deannnnn]

I want carrier name, it's helpful when roaming, but I can live without it. On the other hand, I NEED data network type. Knowing whether you're on 1x 3G LTE (VZW) or GPRS E 4G LTE (ATT) is integral to me especially when you live in NYC and your phone gets confused and stuck on a slower network when coming in and out of service on the subway.

 

[mrbkk]

Goodbye carrier name! Finally. As if I constantly need to be told what network I’m on… What a waste of space.

Found the guy that doesn't travel internationally!

 

[Feenician]

Found the guy that doesn't travel internationally!

I travel internationally at least 6 months of the year. I don’t want to and don’t need to see the carrier name on screen at all times since it simply connects to a network if T-Mobile have an agreement and works, or doesn’t if they don’t. Even if I did want to see it, it’s right there in Settings. What’s the problem I’m missing here?

 

[alex2792]

That notch looks ridiculous,why not just make it a black bar like the S8...

 

[Ploki]

Apple needs to fire it's current designers and hire the Galaxy team from Samsung.

please don't.

if you like the galaxy so much just switch, some variety is fine and pushes competition.
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That notch looks ridiculous,why not just make it a black bar like the S8...

because you get more screen this way, and in my humble opinion the black bar looks worse not better.

 

[LordQ]

Why am I considering a $999+ phone just because of a rounded dock, no carrier name and cool new loading animation?

 

[brenton289]

I never thought I'd ever say this but, I think my next phone is going to be a...
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Nokia

 

[sniffies]

Re: Bold
Good catch. I do not travel internationally. And when I do travel nationally, if I am to be concerned with what network I am to or not to latch on, I will use Settings app. But again, this info may or may not be important to a lot of people, as you pointed out. Good catch.

Re: Italics
Again, you are right so far as the goal is concerned. Respect.

We do not know for sure what Apple will do and how. So, no real use bickering over rumours till they turn true straight from the horse's mouth. That said, my posts are only my personal takes on the issues and not a generalisation to the masses. I know each and everyone has their own unique uses and requirements for the same piece of hardware and software.

On another note, I really, really love your user handle, so please don't mind, but Scooby Dooby Dooooooo!!

Wait, you do not travel internationally? You don't want to or you can't?

 

[Bacillus]

More I see the notch, more I love it. Never got why would anyone hate it. It is classic bare minimum information and relevance is maintained. We don't need to see the name of our network, we need to know the quality of signal - it's there. Time turning red and green with a bubble - awesome! Can't wait to get my hands on this thing in India.

Design limitations as well as Apple's own adorned limitations (read offering just a couple or more updates and upgrades per device and reserve the next for the next year) might have prevented from from doing this so far. the "notch" simply eliminates all unnecessary space and all sensors can be hid within it without making anything look off and odd.

It's really good. Saves on a lot of screen space that way.

Enjoy the plastic notch stickers that will soon arrive at Chinese cheapo sites

 

[macintoshmac]

Wait, you do not travel internationally? You don't want to or you can't?

Hi, my words were a direct response to him saying "sounds like you don't travel internationally".

I have not yet travelled internationally. I do want to, and I surely can. I do am making some plans for next year.

I only responded within the context of conversation with him.
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Enjoy the plastic notch stickers that will soon arrive at Chinese cheapo sites

Thanks for a good chuckle!

 

[Ploki]

I never thought I'd ever say this but, I think my next phone is going to be a...
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Nokia

I said that plenty of times when i still used Ericsson.

 

[mrbkk]

I travel internationally at least 6 months of the year. I don’t want to and don’t need to see the carrier name on screen at all times since it simply connects to a network if T-Mobile have an agreement and works, or doesn’t if they don’t. Even if I did want to see it, it’s right there in Settings. What’s the problem I’m missing here?

I guess it depends on carrier - for me usually I need to be on specific networks for my packages to be working. My phone provider has deals with different outfits. If I'm on the "wrong" network, sometimes it gets pricey. Of course, YMMV.