“A new patent shows that Apple is actively working to kill the notch it created much to the chagrin of smartphone fans all over the planet,” Jesus Diaz writes for Tom’s Guide. “Dutch tech blog MobileKopen has unearthed a new patent that details a way to drill holes in display panels to allow for FaceID cameras and infrared sensors to look through the screen, effectively changing the notch to holes on the screen.”
“Apple’s patent — titled ‘Electronic device displays with holes to accommodate components’ — was filed in 2016, which was probably around the time iPhone X was under development for its 2017 release,” Diaz writes. “Perhaps Apple wasn’t able to pull this method and therefore decided to go with the notch — or maybe the notch was a stopgap measure as they got this to work.”
Diaz writes, “What is clear is that, despite claims to the contrary, the notch goes against every single design principle followed by Apple.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The sooner the inelegant kludge is eliminated, the better!
We do love, however, when clueless, copying fragmandoid peddlers add notches to their displays that do basically nothing; certainly nothing close to what Apple’s TrueDepth Camera system does.
iPhone X’s notch (really a flap, occluding the display) is an inelegant kludge. The extensive copying of it from the fragmandroid peddlers proves that if Jony Ive took a dump in a box, they’d immediately start downing laxatives like candy. — MacDailyNews, August 17, 2018
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s first ad for iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max is a grand illusion, or is it a deception? – September 17, 2018
Google’s next Android version to mimic Apple’s iPhone X notch – February 12, 2018
New leak reveals significant iPhone design changes as Apple looks to correct notch design abomination – January 17, 2018
M.G. Siegler reviews Apple’s iPhone X: Certainly the best smartphone I have ever used, despite the weird and awkward notch – November 21, 2017
How annoying is the iPhone X notch – November 1, 2017
The Verge reviews Apple’s iPhone X: Clearly the best iPhone ever made, despite being marred by its ugly notch – November 1, 2017
Above Avalon’s first impressions of Apple’s iPhone X: ‘An entirely new iPhone experience’ – October 31, 2017
Apple reminds developers to design around iPhone X’s notch – October 28, 2017
We’ll get used to iPhone X’s ugly notch, even if we don’t end up liking it – October 23, 2017
Sloppiness: Apple’s inconsistent iPhone X design guides show attention to detail is no longer a priority – October 13, 2017
It’s not all screen: Apple’s stretching the truth with iPhone X marketing – October 3, 2017
Joshua Topolsky: Apple is really bad at design – October 1, 2017
Apple’s botched ‘notch’ atop iPhone X’s display is a design abomination – September 15, 2017
Apple is turning a design quirk into the iPhone X’s defining feature: Leaning into the notch – September 14, 2017
The lessons and questions of Apple’s iPhone X and iPhone 8 – September 13, 2017
Apple embraces that ugly notched cutout in OLED ‘iPhone’s display – August 30, 2017
It’s time we embraced Apple’s notched/cutout OLED iPhone display – August 11, 2017
Apple choose function/feature over design – for once. And it doesn’t bother me using my iPhone X – ever.
RIDDLE ME THIS: If FACE ID tech (AKA the notch) is a feature/function over design, then what the heck is a massive chin, and a stupid home button? Elegant and beautiful?… It’s hideous people.
Face ID is a WAAAY better solution than that stupid 1983 home button stuff. ; )
Agreed. After a few days I couldn’t see the notch anymore. I quite literally had forgotten my phone has a notch and I look at it a hundred times a day. Face ID is very good design. The notch required to get it without adding to the top or bottom of the device is a good, functional, design (if a little aesthetically odd).
Spot on, for starters least the last 4 years that iPhone overhang has been an embarrassment when many other phones were gradually reducing it. But as we know Apple is perfectly happy to fall behind simply to make a bigger leap and impact once they actually get around to significant changes. A secondary motive no doubt is to convince users to upgrade when otherwise they might leave it longer if the change was less obvious.
I just came from the 8 Plus to Xs Max. The Max is amazing. Same size as he 8 Plus but all screen and no bother of the notch. FaceID fantastic. The build quality and weight of the Max is superb. Best iphone Apple has made to date to me!!!!!
The notch was only a problem for tech writers with nothing else to write about.
Yes and MDN. It Will be interesting to see how the top and bottom of the phone is easily discerned once it’s gone. Got to have some obvious indicator and tiny holes won’t do it, or if they are obvious enough will equally bring similar scorn no doubt.
When MND gets a wild hair it never lets go
The notch is an abomination.
Yes, a very ugly design “abomination.” MDN is spot on. Notch tramples on every photo, video and other programs ALL the time. Like a disrespectful DJ talking over an artists song before it is finished (artist disrespect). The fanboys don’t see it, well, what are they looking at? Sounds like design denial to me coupled with self hypnosis, but hey — all fine if you don’t see it and love it.
As the article pointed out good to hear it was a deadline stopgap decision, will be corrected in the future and R.I.P. All will be right in the design galaxy again…
Apple would be spending a lot of effort to find ways to eliminate the notch, with Ive being a driving force. To get an indication of Apple’s (and Ive’s) determination go back to:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-11-03/apples-supply-chain-secret-hoard-lasers
Like this, Apple will develop and patent a fix and the competition will be stuck with second best.
Love it!
That’s just hysterical.
Cutting holes in the display might not work as well as just making the area of the display that the cameras are behind transparent when the cameras are active. Too bad that patent is already filed by an Android OEM like Samsung.
Not completely sure how Apple displays would work with holes cut out in it. I could imagine a workaround for cutting a single hole, but wouldn’t it become a problem for the area of the display that is between two ‘cutouts’?
What ever happened to the Apple patent to interweave camera sensors between pixels?
https://www.engadget.com/2006/04/26/apple-patent-embeds-thousands-of-cameras-among-lcd-pixels/
Maybe it never really got past the idea stage, or is just not a viable solution.
I thought it was kinda cool at the time (way back in 2006).