It's been a long time since Apple place value on function over form. Perhaps around the time Steve Jobs passing?
so, was notchgate overblown?
- Thread starter Italianblend
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Raist3001
macrumors 65816
I understand that the notch is not popular. However, I believe this stems from an unfortunate belief that the notch is actually blocking content. It's not meant to. Viewing media correctly means to not view the media in expanded mode. In expanded mode, this will extend the picture to fill the entire screen (the ears). Otherwise, the media will be presented properly right below the notch. Which is where any media on an iPhone+ would fall, even when extended. We are actually gaining screen real estate with the ears, not losing screen. Draw a line right below the Notch. That's your bezel. Anything above this line (the ears) is an extension of the screen.
At least, that's how I see it. Not defending the notch, just looking at it with a different perspective.
That's how I've been describing the issue for the past few days. It's not so much the notch that's the issue. It's the ears.
I’d say that since Apple is advertising we are receiving a certain size screen that has a part of the “bezel” protruding into it says that there is a notch instead of ear extensions.
Extensions would mean an addition to what’s already there which the “ears” are not.
Do you think the notch is merely software created and not a lack of screen in that area?
Raist3001
macrumors 65816
Actually I could not disagree more. Look at the PIC below posted by another forum member. The 2 pics on the right show what the X might have looked like with a bezel and a bezel with a chin. Put your ruler across the top bezel bottom and it aligns with the notch bottom. The notch is necessary to house all the fancy camera tech. It is not extending into the screen at all. It is for all intents and purposes a bezel. Apple decided to shorten the bezel (notch), and extend the screen into the area to the right and left of the notch. This decision is Most certainly an extension of screen. If the screen was not extended to the ears, all the information in the ears like battery, wifi, etc would have needed to sit below the notch which would then be intruding into screen real estate.
Actually I could not disagree more. Look at the PIC below posted by another forum member. The 2 pics on the right show what the X might have looked like with a bezel and a bezel with a chin. Put your ruler across the top bezel bottom and it aligns with the notch bottom. The notch is necessary to house all the fancy camera tech. It is not extending into the screen at all. It is for all intents and purposes a bezel. Apple decided to shorten the bezel (notch), and extend the screen into the area to the right and left of the notch. This decision is Most certainly an extension of screen. If the screen was not extended to the ears, all the information in the ears like battery, wifi, etc would have needed to sit below the notch which would then be intruding into screen real estate.
Apple says that with the iPhone X you’re receiving an edge to edge, 5.8” screen which is not completely true.
It’s not a true edge to edge screen and the side where the HARDWARE notch is, 3/4 of that area is unusable to view media.
The ears would be an extension if they were added on top of the advertised 5.8” screen.
[doublepost=1509641743][/doublepost]
I completely agree that it is a lack of screen where the notch is.
Raist3001
macrumors 65816
Obviously the edge to edge 5.8" OLED screen could not be true edge to edge since all phones to date need some sort of bezel (notch).
That's called the bezel. Apple shortened the bezel which is now referred to as the notch. The notch is needed for the technology it houses. Just like all phones to date needed a bezel to house the camera and sensors. You seem to be thinking the notch protrudes into the screen. It does not.
You are not considering that the phone needs the bezel (notch). Or in this case a notch. Apple could not produce a true edge to edge in all directions. Since the ears extend beyond the notch, it is an extension of the screen. Again, draw a line under the notch. This is effectively your bezel line. Anything above this line should be bezel. All apple did was shorten the bezel (notch) and extend the screen.
bezel =/= screen
screen size - notch/bezel size =/= 5.8"
Definition of protrude
protruded; protruding
transitive verb
1archaic :to thrust forward
2:to cause to project
intransitive verb
:to jut out from the surrounding surface or context
- a handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket
kimchi123
macrumors newbie
Raist3001
macrumors 65816
Irrelevant definition IMO since the notch does not protrude into the screen. It is a bezel. Plain and simple. At least that is how I see it.
Do the bezels on all iPhones to date protrude into the screen? The notch is the bezel regardless of how apple assigns a size. Where would the technology go without a bezel?
Now I agree the screen size is off but that is because apple chose to refer to the phone as edge to edge which of course it is not. Thus the measurement is from edge to edge and not edge to notch.
However, since you are looking at the X as edge to edge all the way around based on apples measurement, I do see your point.
Last edited:
Agreed. I can't watch movies in Omnimax because the content is distorted.
Half the people here would throw a fit if their TV or display had a notch in it. Imagine going to the theater and there's a notch in the display.
The notch would have been fine if it did not interfere with the content.
[doublepost=1509648533][/doublepost]
They very much did. It's something i'm not used too. The very first iPhone was form over function and why they got rid of the stylus.
Royal Gala
macrumors regular
Notch at all.
craigio85
macrumors 6502a
I think it’s more to do with the jarring departure from the universally accepted norm that a screen should be rectangular. Like yourself, I would neither defend or attack the notch. It happens to put me off but I accept that others don’t feel that way.
I’ve read many defences of notch criticism and none of them have changed my opinion - in most cases I just flat-out don’t see the logic. They put me off, others can live with them.
For example, I accept it’s a fact that the visual impact of the notch during media playback can be removed by viewing in bordered mode. But that leaves me thinking, well, what was the point in having an edge-to-edge screen? There may as well be a bezel there if video can’t scale to fill the screen without creating the unfortunate impression that somebody stuck a black sticker over part of the screen. And as a Plus user, my video playback will be smaller, despite a supposedly larger screen.
For the thread title - yes, it’s overblown. It won’t affect the success of the iPhone X. But I read a lot of posts where people are incredulous that the notch is being criticised - even those who are prepared to accept it should be able to acknowledge that it’s a controversial design design and the expect the criticism.
macfacts
macrumors 603
It isn't that they like it. It is because it isn't noticable. We mostly read left to right on the screen so the notch is out of sight.
Some might like it because this is showing off that they own an iPhone x, everyone knows that the iPhone X has the notch.
Oridus
macrumors 65816
Because no one has ever watched a movie or viewed pictures on the phone
As for distinguishing the iPhone X from other phones I placed a piece of black electrical tape at the top of my phone. People have been gushing over it for the past two days! [doublepost=1509653104][/doublepost]
Why?
Oridus
macrumors 65816
Because no one has ever watched a movie or viewed pictures on the phone
[doublepost=1509653104][/doublepost]
Why?
Because I’m tired of the squared off corners and rectangle look I’ve been using forever. It’s a departure from that. Pushing content into that area tucks things away nicely. Like when screen recording, the time glows red only, instead of an entire red bar across the top of the screen. It makes for a refreshing experience on a platform that doesn’t chang often.
Sounds like you're more intrigued by the rounded corners and not the notch.
Oridus
macrumors 65816
The notch separates up the corners. Hence why I referenced the recoding bar.
Seems more of a "it's different" so it's bettesiu
Especially if it was only on 1 side of the TV.
It's not like filmmakers or photographers produce media knowing there's going to be a notch protruding into their canvas. They produce media to be presented in a rectangular shape with 4 straight edges.
That’s not really the point. We all know that the technology has to be there. Even if we didn’t have Face ID, it would STILL be there. Other companies have taken another approach. Samsung calls theirs edge to edge. Apple is bezeless but not really because you have a bezel that’s pushing down.
iScone
macrumors 6502
The notch protrudes into video only if you're watching video wrongly. If you've expanded it to fit the whole screen, it doesn't matter if the notch is there or not - you're not watching the entire picture.
I'm confident that the notch is no big deal at all when not in landscape, and that it's also fine for watching video in landscape.
My problem is the ears. I just think they look horrible. There needs to be some kind of consistency of the darkness of the notch covering the ear section as well.I don't mean bezels - keep the battery/signal icons there - but make a distinction. I could probably get used to it but it's not pretty.
I'm confident that the notch is no big deal at all when not in landscape, and that it's also fine for watching video in landscape.
My problem is the ears. I just think they look horrible. There needs to be some kind of consistency of the darkness of the notch covering the ear section as well.I don't mean bezels - keep the battery/signal icons there - but make a distinction. I could probably get used to it but it's not pretty.