Polls

Would you hide The Notch?

by Preslav Kateliev / May 22, 2018, 9:12 AM

Alright, there's a new design trend in the smartphone world and it's so controversial, it's tearing families apart — The Dreaded Notch!

OK, it's not really destroying marriages (we hope), but there certainly is a vocal part of the community that finds it hideous. Either because people hate the aesthetics of it or because it looks like anyone who's doing it is trying to imitate the iPhone X (or a mix of both reasons).

If you are yet unaware, The Notch™ is the small cutout that digs in on the top side of a smartphone with otherwise very, very thin bezels. It's there because manufacturers still need a place to put the selfie camera, earpiece, proximity sensor, and other sensors if they happen to be using iris-reading technology.

The Dreaded Notch

As a result, the screen is not a perfect rectangular shape, but has a piece cut out from it and appears to have two "ears" (or horns?) sticking out of it. Some people like it, others don't mind it, and some hate it with a passion.

That's why some manufacturers (LG, Huawei, and OnePlus come to mind) have included a setting in their newest phones that allows the user to "mask" the notch — an always-black overlay appears on top of the display and makes it look like the phone has a top bezel, instead of a screen with a bite taken off of it.

So, here's a question — suppose you have a phone with The Notch (it seems that we'll be seeing a tone of those by the end of 2018). Would you use any software setting to mask its presence, or do you not mind it?

Would you use the overlay to hide your phone's notch?

Nah! If you've got it, flaunt it!

19.28%

I'd test it out, but it doesn't bother me that much

27%

Absolutely! I might even add black tape up there if it's not convincing enough!

53.71%

Options

104 Comments

1. sgodsell

Posts: 7433; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

I am not sure about using tape, but if all apps work with or without the notch, then I am on board. I don't like Apples approach where developers are FORCED to support the iPhone X notch. Since Android P and other oems are giving users the option to hide the notch or use the notch. Then this is a superior approach to Apples notch.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:22 AM 20

2. midan

Posts: 2984; Member since: Oct 09, 2017

There's apps which hide the notch and it looks stupid to have that black par, developers should definately support the notch because it looks lot better, Especially with the X without chin.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:30 AM 3

81. tedkord

Posts: 17410; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

The notch in no way looks better. If you feel you must have a notch, then it should absolutely be camouflaged by turning the hiedous ears to the same color - and, in the interest of honesty, you should advertise the screen diagonal size as not including the ears. Anything else is dishonest.

posted on May 22, 2018, 5:56 PM 5

3. rouyal

Posts: 1583; Member since: Jan 05, 2018

I support the uniformity approach of Apple, even if it needs to be forced. It ensures a quality experience and not a fragmented one.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:30 AM 12

108. sgodsell

With Androids approach using a notch. All apps will work, and they do not have to change. Where as Apple notch only leaves a few pixels on either side. So apps cannot function correctly. This is why Apple is FORCING it's developers to accommodate their notch. So your fragmentation crap for Android in regards to using a notch or not, is simply not true. Where as Apple right now has introduced fragmentation because of their notch.

posted on May 23, 2018, 3:29 PM 0

4. Plasticsh1t

Posts: 3109; Member since: Sep 01, 2014

You mentioned this a million times. We get it already that you despise Apple so much. Take a chill pill and relax.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:32 AM 8

10. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

We get it that you hate Android/Samsung as well, and you're a lot less subtle about it, so why don't you stop as well? Follow your own words.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:52 AM 7

84. tedkord

Ironic coming from you and your Samsung hatred.

posted on May 22, 2018, 5:59 PM 1

7. NateDiaz

Posts: 1089; Member since: Mar 03, 2018

You don't even have an X why are you butthurt?

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:46 AM 3

8. maherk

Posts: 6939; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

In other words, bla bla blahhh I hate Apple.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:47 AM 2

42. Nine1Sickness

Posts: 896; Member since: Jan 30, 2011

They should have made a notch on the bottom as well with that huge ass bezel. That phone would look a lot better without that notch in the first place. Manufacturers seem to look at the ugly ass notch as if it’s a feature rather than what it is.

posted on May 22, 2018, 1:05 PM 0

46. GreenMan

Posts: 2698; Member since: Nov 09, 2015

"I might even add black tape up there if it's not convincing enough!" That part made my cry... There's no better sentence to explain my 'affection' towards notches. it's almost... Poetry... G'Day!

posted on May 22, 2018, 1:16 PM 1

89. ZEUS.the.thunder.god

Posts: 1134; Member since: Oct 05, 2011

This. I just got my OP6 Mirror Black and it`s beautiful. I wasn`t really a big fan of notch but I think OP did a far better job than Apple or any of the other OEMs. I used iPhone X for a bit and found the display size to be too small. I`m pretty sure a 6+ inches iPhone would be able to implement the notch in a far better way since the actual usable screen area on iPhone X is probably less than iPhone 8+. I switched from an S8+ to OP6 and so far loving it. For half the price of an S9+ and 1/3 the price of an iPhone X in India, it`s a steal with some not so important trade-offs.

posted on May 22, 2018, 6:22 PM 0

5. midan

Hardly no-one will hide the notch, people just don't care if there's notch or not. I'v been using X for half year, i couldn't care less about the notch, few days it felt weird.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:32 AM 4

9. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Yet this poll suggests otherwise. And if I ever buy a phone with a notch (hopefully it will be a passing trend), I most definitely will hide the ugly mf.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:51 AM 5

13. midan

This poll is about stubborn Android boys who haven't owned one. I'm talking about people who actually bought notch phone. I'm very sure almost no-one of those will hide it when they use it for few days.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:57 AM 3

19. Back_from_beyond

Posts: 1438; Member since: Sep 04, 2015

If the phone has a "chin" I'd hide the notch for symmetry's sake. On a phone without a "chin" I'd want the notification bar to wrap around it at all times. I don't need developers trying to make some awkward attempt to utilize the space and do a piss poor job of it. The way Apple has forced developers to deal with the notch has led to yet another case of inconsistency in iOS, like how for years now there has never been a logical place for a back button in apps.

posted on May 22, 2018, 10:27 AM 3

31. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

I only know one person irl with an iPhone X most have bought the 8 because of the notch. And he dislikes it a lot. Not enough to hide it, mainly because those apps suck. And this has nothing to do with being stubborn, you don't need to own one to see its ugly

posted on May 22, 2018, 11:49 AM 2

86. tedkord

People who bought the notch phone, for the overwhelmingly large part, decided they could live with the notch before they bought it. If there were a software switch to hide it, MANY would do so.

posted on May 22, 2018, 6:02 PM 0

85. tedkord

Yes, but you wouldn't care if the notch covered the entire screen. You'd just stare lovingly at the logo on the back.

posted on May 22, 2018, 6:00 PM 0

93. ZEUS.the.thunder.god

That`s so true. I hated the notch on iPhone X but kinda digging it on my OP6. IMO you should really use it before calling it ugly but OP implemented it far better than Apple. Part of the reason is that usable display area on iPhone X is less than 5.8. I`m pretty sure Apple will increase the screen size over 6 inches to fix it.

posted on May 22, 2018, 8:01 PM 0

94. ZEUS.the.thunder.god

6. Plasticsh1t

I will never a buy a phone with a notch. Period.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:33 AM 9

11. Pabliell

Posts: 185; Member since: Mar 22, 2016

IMO, the notch was introduced because there was not enough room for all of the sensors. And so far all Android notched phones also have a bezel on the bottom of the screen, call it a chin or whatever. There's your room for sensors, so build more phones like Mi Mix. The notch is fugly.

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:56 AM 2

54. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

While I like the Mi Mix range, having a camera at the bottom has its own issues. Not to mention you still need a place for the phone speaker.

posted on May 22, 2018, 1:32 PM 0

70. Pabliell

It either needs getting used to the position, or to flipping the phone. Not that big of a deal. Mi Mix 2 has a regular earpiece, it's wide and thin, and barely visible above the screen. So they proved that's not a problem at all.

posted on May 22, 2018, 2:31 PM 0

71. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Flipping the phone is the most obvious thing to do, but not every app supports this. But if it had Amoled and some waterproofing, I would have bought the Mi Mix S2. I don't so selfies anyway so :)

posted on May 22, 2018, 3:00 PM 0

12. .KRATOS.

Posts: 442; Member since: Mar 15, 2013

I don't know whats the bad thing about the notch

posted on May 22, 2018, 9:56 AM 0

15. middlehead

Posts: 458; Member since: May 12, 2014

I got one of the cheap Essentials from Amazon's sale a couple weeks ago, and I don't mind the notch on that. These wider ones on other phones might, though.