Are display notches the future of smartphones?

When the Apple iPhone X was introduced in September 2017, businesses and consumers alike were surprised to find out that it sported a “notch” on the upper side of the screen. This was the Cupertino-based company’s experiment of creating a smartphone with a full-screen display while still making space for the speaker, microphone, front camera and a whole lot of sensors. This earned the smartphone mixed reviews.

Fast forward to 2018, it seems that many manufacturers, small and large, are taking inspiration from Apple. During the recently concluded Mobile World Congress, a plethora of Android devices that flaunted a copycat notch were unveiled. For instance, Asus’ new Zenfone 5 has a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio compared to iPhone X’s 86 percent. The company even boasts that the unit’s notch is much smaller compared to the phone made by Apple.

Meanwhile, Huawei introduced the P20, which also takes ideas from the iPhone notch but using a larger display. The imitation didn’t stop, there, however. At the back of the phone is a dual-lens camera positioned just like the iPhone X. LG is also present in the party, with the G7 featuring a notch above the display.

While the Doogee V clearly took pointers from the iPhone X, it has something the
Apple device doesn’t: an in-display fingerprint scanner. (Source: Doogee)

Unsurprisingly, many China manufacturers have come up with their own versions. At the top of the list is the Doogee V. Whileit also uses a notch to house the front speaker, front camera and flash, it comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, similar to Vivo’s X20 Plus UD. Leagoo also unveiled the familiar-sounding S9, which can apparently unlock by scanning the owner’s face.

What sets devices from China manufacturers apart is the much lower price tag compared to leading brands such as Apple, which is currently selling the iPhone X for $999. These companies can get away with selling a handset with 4GB RAM, 13MP camera and a fingerprint sensor for less than $200, making these devices easily considerable for consumers.

Even Google is acknowledging this trend. The freshly announced Android P, the next major version of the company’s mobile operating system, now has “display cutout support,” which of course refers to the notch. This feature helps the software adapt to the device, as the current versions of Android, including apps, aren’t fit to take advantage of the new display craze.

It remains to be seen if the trend will become mainstream, considering that some brands, including Samsung and Sony, still don’t see the need for it. It is even claimed in a South Korea report that the 2019 iPhones will cease to use the notch, and instead have the cameras and sensors embedded under the screen. In the meantime, volume buyers can indeed expect to see more smartphones with such displays, but the future of this feature will remain uncertain.