QOTW: What do you think of the smartphone notch?

[Shane74]

Won't buy one with notch, Problem solved!

[Listy2021]

Absolutely hate them, will be getting a Mi Mix 3 when the prices come down a bit

[malculator]

The people who hate have never used a phone with one. Facts.

This person who hates, never wants to own a phone with one. Opinions!

I'd rather have more bezel than a notch. A nice symmetrical aesthetic over the jarring experience of a chunk precisely amputated from the centre of the top edge of the screen. I would find watching a movie in landscape too irritating with a notch. A bit like sitting behind a tall person at the cinema.

[EvilCycle]

This person who hates, never wants to own a phone with one. Opinions!

I'd rather have more bezel than a notch. A nice symmetrical aesthetic over the jarring experience of a chunk precisely amputated from the centre of the top edge of the screen. I would find watching a movie in landscape too irritating with a notch. A bit like sitting behind a tall person at the cinema.

I'm not trying to sell the notch to you, if you don't like it then you don't like it, but the watching movies example is interesting. You see the parts of the screen either side of the notch are more like having extra screen than a part of the screen being missing, it is like they have removed part of the upper bezel. For example when you watch something in landscape mode, the parts of the screen that are either side of the notch-bezel go black so that you are left with the same size and shape screen that you would have without a notch. They really are not a big of an issue as some make out. I can honestly take it or leave it as it doesn't add anything useful, but it doesn't hinder my use in any way either.

[Myss_tree]

More the better - should be one on each side for symmetry!

How about on the back?
Perhaps the more features the more notches ... Apple could have the iNotch to be magical and revolutionary, or the bionic notch.
Should mid range phones have it midway?

[big_hairy_rob]

Pretty much the definition of 'restrictive view'.

[Friesiansam]

Should mid range phones have it midway?

Yes, indeed go further and make it a hole, then idiots can see where they are going, when walking down the street staring at their phone.

[Spud1]

. For example when you watch something in landscape mode, the parts of the screen that are either side of the notch-bezel go black so that you are left with the same size and shape screen that you would have without a notch.

Not quite, you are left with a smaller screen than one without a notch. That's because they have had to cram in all the sensors etc that were in a thin line before into a notch that is 1/5th of the width; it has to be deeper than the original "sensor line/bezel". Its an easy comparison if you take something with a very thin bezel like an S9/+ and compare to a similar sized phone with a notch - you lose screen size when you "hide" the notch for a full screen app.

Thats part of why it was a bonkers "invention" - sure you gain a few extra pixels when you are not using the phone, or when you don't need them...but you lose them when you actually do. It's madness.

[RobinMVP]

It amazes me how much everyone bangs on about smartphone designs.. they're literally all identical - ooh an 'edge' (annoying btw), ooh a 'notch', ooh it's 'blue'... yawn .. call me when there's something innovative or worthwhile (hello flexible/folding screens).
I can buy a decent PC or laptop for the price of most smartphones... they're products which are inherently flawed by their target market.

[FRISH]

I'm not overly fussed. I'm sure I'd soon get used to it.

[tag75]

don't care

[ohmaheid]

Don't care.

That's Billy Connelly's joke. Still a decent one though...

[EvilCycle]

Not quite, you are left with a smaller screen than one without a notch. That's because they have had to cram in all the sensors etc that were in a thin line before into a notch that is 1/5th of the width; it has to be deeper than the original "sensor line/bezel". Its an easy comparison if you take something with a very thin bezel like an S9/+ and compare to a similar sized phone with a notch - you lose screen size when you "hide" the notch for a full screen app.

Thats part of why it was a bonkers "invention" - sure you gain a few extra pixels when you are not using the phone, or when you don't need them...but you lose them when you actually do. It's madness.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. It seems there are two camps, those who think the notch takes away from the screen, then those like me that think that we will always want a front camera, and whilst they are still quite sizable, it is either a full bezel at the top to accommodate it, or have some extra screen either side of it.

[Edit] - Re-read the post with both eyes and you are right about the depth of the bezel perhaps being bigger on a notch, maybe this entire discussion about notches is really a discussion about cameras needing to be smaller.

[peterb]

I'm still amazed that people get so wound up about such a silly trivial and (wrt everyday life) irrelevant thing.

They must have very stress-free and calm lives if something so irrelevant causes so much anguish! (or their lives are so stressful that they blank out the major things and concentrate on the really minor)

It's a phone - get over it!

[jnutt]

Don't care. Can't see why such a hoo haa is generated over it.

[Wolfsbane2k]

Really couldn't care less about it - much more interested in the tech, useability and capability of the device itself.

As I sit here looking at my Moto E2 that I spend a grand total of £30 on 3 years ago.