There were at least 11 'notch' phones at MWC 2018

[Xlucine]

For years I've sat looking at my phone and thought: "If only that top bezel was gone and the earpiece and sensors were instead cut out of the screen in an awkward way that most software won't account for. I've always wanted a touch screen device that has zero non-touch area to hold on to, I'd like to live on the edge and have unpredictable random touches from my palm and thumb when I'm just trying to read the news."

Thank you Asus, my dreams have come true.

It can't be too hard to manage well. The backend positioning notifications and the time either side of the notch is handled by the manufacturer, so they can control when it shows and when it doesn't.
- If an app knows how to handle a notch (read: plays nice with the manufacturers notch API), great
- If an app in portrait mode can't handle a notch, then just leave notifications up
- ditto for landscape, just turn the bits either side of the notch black (or whatever colour the remains of the bezels are) so they don't stick out

For portrait apps that can't handle the notch, you've kept the status bar on top of the screen and freed up a bit of vertical height for more content. If it's a full screen video, you're basically notchless (couple mW to run the extra screen area, no big deal)

[Spud1]

I hope this is just a one year "spike" in madness that will drop off - they all look absolutely awful, as does the iPhone X. That notch just ruins the look of the phone from the front, and makes it harder to use (and less compatible with apps too). It serves no purpose and I still don't get why Apple decided to release a phone with such a huge flaw..

It very much reminds me of the Motorola 360 smart watches - they looked amazing and were lovely devices, until you turned them on and realised they didn't have a full round screen, they had a massive notch out of the bottom. Thankfully for smartwatch fans on that occasion all the other manufacturers thought Motorola's idea was stupid too so it didn't catch on

Lets just hope no-one buys these and then we can forget this ever happened in a year's time

[3dcandy]

I doubt it - with Android P supporting notches straight away, I reckon that is part of the plan... I mean once you have to support a notch it's easy innit

[IsaacM]

Chinese manufacturer. Slow news

[mtyson]

Rumours are that LG is going to get notchy

[Wylady]

personally I'd be more interested in having some small lugs or grips on the top sides of the very slippery bodies...

[DanceswithUnix]

I saw the headline and thought of Notch, the guy that originally wrote Minecraft, and wondered what he was doing making phones. I mean, can you imagine the blocky UI? Dig here to answer call, throw apples to hang up.

[virtuo]

I could knock up an app to add a notch to any phone in half an hour - then at least you could turn it on or off at will (after the 5 minute gimmick factor has worn off)