What if apple doesn't allow devs to use the cutouts as it's for the status area?
Seems like a whole lot of huff and puff over something that hasn't been explained or showed off for that matter.
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Mockups Imagine What Apps Might Look Like on iPhone 8
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Seems like a whole lot of huff and puff over something that hasn't been explained or showed off for that matter.
I see the point, but Apple has always prided itself on not being fragmented. They would show slides of all the different android phone screen sizes during their keynotes vs. how few Apple. If the goal of those notches is to add real estate on screen, then that's just one more screen size developers need to adjust their apps to (and they just added another recently with the 10.5" iPad Pro)
I'm not saying more room on screen is bad, but is the payoff big enough to go through the manufacturing headache that this design would cause?
if the notch is just used for system icons, then the apps will just see a normal rectangle as they currently do, they won't be able to 'see' the notch. It'll be longer anyway due to reduced bezels but that should have been expected.
Sure! Every screen has an ever so slightly bezel. All you need is a more precise ruler to measure it. So bezel-less only means, a bezel so small that it can be safely ignored. Because further reducing the bezel wouldn't benefit the user much. It's the same definition as with Retina resolution. The point of diminishing returns of further improvements in bezel thickness, that's basically bezel-less. Also remind yourself that iOS makes heavy use of swipe from the side gestures, for that you need the bezel as a starting point. Getting rid of it completely might even result in worse usability.
I get that the notch won't be usable screen space, but if the aspect ratio of the screen is different, then you would have do resize the app to fit that ratio, which would lead to greater fragmentation. On the flip side, if the ratio stays the same and you don't need to alter current applications in any way, what you gaining and will the change even be noticeable?
I'm not trying to be a pain in the @$$, but if the leaks are correct, and this will be a separate from from the 7s and 7s+, I'm assuming they will charge a premium for this. So, for me, it would be hard to justify spending that $$ unless they are able to get the iPhone 7+ screen size into this smaller form factor.
what happened when the 4s went to the 5? Wasn't that just/mainly a longer screen?
That's where the market was headed though, and everyone was asking for it. So developers only had to deal with 2 screen sizes. The 3.5" and 4" screen.
Now there is the iPhone SE, the 7, 7+, iPad Mini, iPad (9.7" Screen), the 10.5" iPad Pro and 12.9" iPad pro.
I know the market it heading towards a "bezel-less" design so it makes sense Apple would address that on a new phone. But adding in notches for the signal bar and time to free up more room below seems odd to me. Hopefully there will be other uses for this space that we aren't privy to yet. Such as controls for the camera or video playback when the phone is in landscape mode.
It's a tough balancing act - on the one extreme don't make changes or make changes that might be sub-optimal due to allowing oneself to be overly constrained by the past and at the other extreme make changes too carelessly and frequently and damage the app and developer base.
I wonder whether the angst here might be due to this being a transition year where the OLED iPhone is the forerunner of what is to come and won't be so anomalous next year.
One possible future is that next year the SE and Plus models go through exactly the same screen evolution that the anniversary phone is expected to go through this year (taking the 4.7" iPhone as its departure point). Both SE and Plus models next year keep roughly the same case dimensions but get bigger (presumably OLED) screens by slimming side bezels, radically reducing top and bottom bezels, and changing the aspect ratios, status bar handling etc to match what we're about to see on the OLED model this year. Yes, some temporary pain and more fragmentation but eventually a significant and worthwhile evolution. People who like small phones and love the SE get to keep the smallness but with a bigger screen and users of the Plus model, who we know love big screens, get an even bigger one without the device size becoming totally unmanageable in the context of a phone device. Sounds like a good plan to me. (I'm happy with the 4.7" form factor so for me, if rumours are true, this year's model that enhances the existing 4.7" form factor will be the direct hit for me in terms of my physical size vs screen size comfort zone.)
That's certainly a creative point of view that I haven't thought of. I would hope that there would be a trickle down effect of this design across the board. My only hope is that the screen notches get used for more than the clock and status bar. I feel like they will, maybe not this year or next year.
Ugh. There's no good solution to the top area cutout. I dislike how it looks unless it's completely hidden all the time or faked into a menu bar, but then you need to remove something from the menu bar or else add a second line for the clock. I suspect Apple will "own" it in much the same way they did with the battery pack (just accept the hump as part of the design). Maybe I'll even like it after I get used to it.
So what do you recommend? We all have the same size screens forever? Should apple have not changed display sizes in the 5 or 6 series?
This year is not a normal cycle. Things will get back to normal next year and we will be back to just the new plus size and the new smaller size we get this year.(I hope)
If they changed displays every year then I would see what you are saying but if apps don't get updated for the new sizes, devs will feel the pain, not consumers.
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It's not the 4.7 inch form factor though, correct? Taller and wider? I agree, this model will be the new normal size next year, but it's still bigger than what you claim is as big as you want.
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You don't need to... but we've been able to see the time in most apps since the time was in the status bar with everything else.
The notched mock ups make no sense from a design perspective. There is literally nothing gained by bumping status indicators on either side up into the 'tabs,' while their previous home right below just becomes unused dead space. Putting the clock below the notch maintains a horizontal line across that creates that dead space below the notches. Somehow also cramming the clock into the tabs to free up the line below just creates an unpleasant information traffic jam in the tabs. None of that is an improvement over the current rectangular iPhone screen, which right now perfectly matches the standard widescreen television aspect ratio. Those mock ups simply take the tabs as a given and then jam stuff up there to create a reason for their existence. This is not how Apple design works. If having that awkward-looking notched tab space does not create an aesthetic and functional reason for being there, Apple will not put them there.
Creating active screen space in those little notched tabs requires considerable engineering and manufacturing expense for the hardware, and also considerable software challenges to create a layout that uses the tabs on the new phones and doesn't on the millions of phones currently in existence. I have yet to see a notched screen mockup that offers any real reason for its existence. Until a reason is shown for it, I'm skeptical that Apple will produce that design. It's just not how the Apple design shop works.
Creating active screen space in those little notched tabs requires considerable engineering and manufacturing expense for the hardware, and also considerable software challenges to create a layout that uses the tabs on the new phones and doesn't on the millions of phones currently in existence. I have yet to see a notched screen mockup that offers any real reason for its existence. Until a reason is shown for it, I'm skeptical that Apple will produce that design. It's just not how the Apple design shop works.
It could be something as simple as factual recognition system when using the home button. Supposedly this new phone will be able to determine our emotions etc. with always on facial recognition etc.. so it could be something as simple as if no face is detected when the button is pressed. The phone turns the screen off while if a face is in camera view. It goes back home
Who knows whether you are correct or not, certainly not me - we are discussing rumours and speculation about an unannounced product. From the rumours though it would appear that we're looking at a few mm extra on height and width. It's so close as makes no appreciable difference and, given the rumoured very minor size variation, I still believe that the current 4.7" form factor was the evolutionary starting point for the soon-to-be-announced OLED model.
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There is a specific range of screen sizes that can fit into your hand comfortably, while I'm not suggesting to have the same sizes forever, you are also limited to whats usable. Constantly changing up the screen size within that range is nothing more than marketing BS to say "look, we changed". Apple is no where near as bad as Samsung and other OEM's, but we have the iPhone SE, the 7 and 7+ sizes. At what point do we say "those are enough to make everyone happy?".
Apple (in the past) has prided themselves on the simple, easy, "it-just-works" mentality. Adding another option with minimal benefit just causes confusion to the average, non techie consumer. I'm sure if I told my parents "Hey, Apple is going to come out with a new phone with a different screen size that's larger than the 7 but smaller than the 7+" there answer would be "Why?"
And I totally disagree about consumers not feeling the pain. Developers aren't forced to optimize their apps for every screen size. So if the app isn't optimized for that screen size, then the consumer is affected.
Maybe the clock, network/signal bar, etc will be in a straight line under the notch like we are used to, and the "flaps" will have this always on effect showing how many messages or missed calls you have. Even when the screen is off. I cant really figure it out. It's one of the things I'm eager to see apple explain in September.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you wrote there. And hope like hell you are right and Apple follows logic. Apple is not the bastion of good taste it used to be, but this notch is a botch. An absolute design mess that follows a wholly amateur "ooh, extra space on each side" logic.
Your whole point was it's hard for devs to keep adjusting screen size, now you are talking comfort, which is subjective to the user. Seems like you are just trying to find a problem.
In a free market, devs can update their apps or someone else will develop a very similar, if not the same, app. So long as the app has sufficient demand. No sweat off my back, as a consumer.
Your parents aren't even relevant here. They will go in to the store, get a hands on with the devices and make a decision based on the hands on.
People need to understand that they aren't always the target audience for new products.
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The most logical explanation I've seen so far is that the notches will be there when the phone is locked but will be replaced with a black "bar" with status icons when it's unlocked. If that's the case then apps, videos, etc. would appear as they normally would. I'm really hoping that's the case... I'm worried Apple will be so obsessed with claiming the highest screen to body ration that they'll sacrifice the look (with the tabs).
Actually my point was never about it being difficult for devs to adjust for the screen size, it was that I don't see a point for Apple to keep changing it up. And that if they do change it up, it makes it hard for the devs.
I'm also not assuming that I'm the target audience for every new product. I have no interest in the iPhone SE or the Homepod, but I've never posted or commented on either of those products.
I'm just trying to look at this from a design/manufacturing point of view. Because in my opinion, to manufacture a screen like the one shown in the mockups would very difficult. So I'd want to make sure that the consumer is making a significant gain in order to go through that process.
Sorry if you don't like or understand my opinion. I was just sharing, if you don't like it, there are numerous other posts you can read instead.
All everyone does it state opinions, therefore I will state mine. See how that works?