Mockup Shows What iPhone 14 With Pill-Shaped Cutout Could Look Like in Your Hand

[MacRumors]

The upcoming high-end iPhone 14 is expected to come with a pill-shaped cutout rather than the notch that's been present on the iPhone in some form since 2017. While we're still months away from the next iPhone, we already have a solid idea of what a pill-shaped cutout would look like in practical use.

A mockup on Twitter by developer Jeff Grossman shows, at least on the Home Screen, what a pill-shaped cutout on an iPhone would look like. The cutout, rather than being continuous with the device's bezel like a notch, is centered slightly below the bezel while being shorter in length and height, offering significantly more screen real estate on either side.

Apple made the notch smaller with the iPhone 13, but the extra space can't be utilized. For example, users still can't show the battery percentage in the status bar but must instead swipe down into Control Center. One would think that with a pill-shaped cutout, Apple may let users display more information in the status bar rather than let it remain unused screen real estate.

If you're interested in trying out the experience of a pill-shaped cutout on your own iPhone, Jeff has shared the screenshot used in his original image. View the image on your iPhone, lock your screen rotation, and turn your iPhone upside down to experience, more or less, what an iPhone 14 Pro may look like in your hand.

A pill-shaped cutout would mark a significant design shift from the notch that's been a hallmark of the iPhone design language since the iPhone X. A pill-shaped cutout would require Apple to fit several sensors and the TrueDepth camera system in a smaller footprint. Rumors so far suggest that only the high-end iPhone 14 models will feature a pill-shaped cutout, while the lower-end variants will continue with the full-sized notch, although that could always turn out not to be the case.

Further down the line, starting next year with the iPhone 15, there may be no need for a notch or cutout of any kind as Apple looks to place Face ID and associated sensors under the display.

Article Link: Mockup Shows What iPhone 14 With Pill-Shaped Cutout Could Look Like in Your Hand

 

[torontomax]

those mockups are getting scarily real...

 

[Berti10]

This is just an iPhone 13 Pro downside-up with an screenshot rotated 180°.

 

[contacos]

still no battery percentage. seems about right

 

[Motawa]

Looks worse than notch

 

[44267547]

I don’t have a problem with the pill cut out. But I do think it needs to be more centered towards the actual frame, and not so ‘out in the middle’. Fortunately this is just a mock up, and I don’t think it will be so off-center the way it’s displayed in that photo in the article. Mock-ups are just typically fan-made art.

 

[Pezimak]

I think if they are going to change the the design this year, it's worth waiting till September to see what they do. I hope they stick to Qualcomm modems though.

 

[idktbh]

?

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

I definitely prefer the notch over this. Then again, battery percentage and being able to see if my headset is connected, is almost worth it...

 

[leszb6]

One can only hope that with all the screen real-estate this brings to the top, that Apple can manage to fit the percentage given the freed space.
(disappointing enough they shrunk the 13s' notches without giving the option to show percentage, even on pro max model)

 

[44267547]

View attachment 1941849

The pill cut-out is centered higher here versus the ‘mock-up’ we see in the article photo. Personally, this photo is more appealing, where the pill cut out doesn’t stand out as much, given it’s closer to the frame.

 

[anthorumor]

still no battery percentage. seems about right

but... but.. .this is the new Apple.
Le sigh

 

[popdan]

finally, a phone that is worth upgrading from my 6s. Makes me vomit each time when I need to see current massive stupid notch

 

[Anaxarxes]

I prefer the notch. The area above the pill hole is utterly useless, no functionality at all. This design also make the camera hole much more visible to the eye than the notch.

Let's hope they keep the approach of the notch getting smaller and smaller & move the bar above the notch line:

 

[RadioHedgeFund]

I still don't know why Apple don't just throw away FaceID and pop the fingerprint scanner in the power button just like on their iPads.

 

[Kylo83]

Now remove home bar

 

[44267547]

I still don't know why Apple don't just throw away FaceID and pop the fingerprint scanner in the power button just like on their iPads.

Because smart phones are typically manipulated with one hand. Do you think it would be manageable to reach the fingerprint sensor as large as these phones are with your thumb? Try doing that, and you’ll find out that it’s not very easy to do. That would require almost 2 hands to do that.

Face ID is far more convenient for many different applications, and I don’t suspect Apple has any plans just to ‘throw it away’.

 

[hybra]

a larger bezel is definitely better

 

[aries81]

Still not getting why there’s so much notch hate, I hardly notice it

 

[BvizioN]

I still don't know why Apple don't just throw away FaceID and pop the fingerprint scanner in the power button just like on their iPads.

I do. Because Face ID is better on every way. But yeah, having also Touch ID may please the ones who are used to putting the finger on the display (or wherever it may be) every time they need to authenticate something.

 

[44267547]

Still not getting why there’s so much notch hate, I hardly notice it

This comment comes up quite a bit.

Where do you think you hear the majority of this ‘Notch hate’? (Yup, you guessed it…) It’s only on sites like this. Do you really think people outside Macrumors discuss how much they have distain for the notch in the general public? No. Consumers generally don’t care. Most people have more important things to discuss, versus a trivial iPhone feature.

 

[MayaUser]

if apple dont get advantage of the free space , like they didnt on the 13 and 13 max with smaller width of the notch, then its kind of useless R&D for hardware
This is kind of hardware improvement that needs software imprvements as well...so we need 1-2 more icons on top

 

[orbital~debris]

I like the notch – it gives iPhone a distinctive look (and looks clean in the diagrams Apple produce for in-box leaflets, and in Help).

But the proposed 'pill' shape retains an element of this distinctiveness, and looks far better than a hole IMHO.

 

[Pezimak]

Because smart phones are typically manipulated with one hand. Do you think it would be manageable to reach the fingerprint sensor as large as these phones are with your thumb? Try doing that, and you’ll find out that it’s not very easy to do. That would require almost 2 hands to do that.

Face ID is far more convenient for many different applications, and I don’t suspect Apple has any plans just to ‘throw it away’.

Unless you have the Mini, the number of people who can easily and comfortably manipulate a modern day smartphone in any sense with one hand is limited. It's a bit of a stretch, pun unintended, to claim otherwise. A 6.1" to 6.7" device is not one hand friendly and isn't meant to be.
Face ID was useful before the pandemic, and it seems in some instances masks may be staying long term. So maybe a finger print scanner in the power button and Face ID would be useful?

 

[kiranmk2]

I prefer the notch. The area above the pill hole is utterly useless, no functionality at all. This design also make the camera hole much more visible to the eye than the notch.

View attachment 1941851

Let's hope they keep the approach of the notch getting smaller and smaller & move the bar above the notch line:

View attachment 1941854

Agree - I would much prefer a micronotch rather than the pill. The screen between the cutout and the bezel is wasted space and that sliver of display is still consuming power