What's the Point of Smartphone Notches?

Smartphone notches are suddenly trendy, with Apple's iPhone X being the most recognizable phone bearing one - but do they serve a real purpose?





Intro Theme: Showdown by F.O.O.L from Monstercat - Best of 2016

[MASViper]

I rather have some bezel on the top and bottom of the screen, at least there's something I can hold during landscape mode.

[buyingonabudget]

A trend we never asked for and it looks like it is gonna stay...

[vishalkrsingh]

I'd rather have front firing speakers than completly bezel less phone.

[Slowdr]

I refuse to buy a phone with notch and without headphone jack

[DummyAccount]

Notch used to put out minecraft iterations, now it's just in the way of my youtube videos :-(

[chex]

Honestly, just remove the notch completely and leave tiny bezels on each size to hold front facing speakers. Honestly, I feel like most of us tech enthusiasts rarely use the selfie cam anyway. Though this would be a bad idea for a company like apple whose main market are the general public, this would be great for a company like oneplus whose main market is tech enthusiasts.

[JimmyZuoYuichi]

I saw vivo nex phone not have notches but have pop out camera...

[tiorimas]

Ask yourself this: Would you buy a TV screen with a notch?

[seireiart]

Wow, This video is really "Top Notch""

oh, ok, I shall see myself out

[itsdeonlol]

I will never use a phone with the notch...

[aka_izzy]

My note 8 is the perfect design imo. I rather thin bezels than a notch any day.

[Tall_Order]

That's one thing Apple's competitors need to realize. Just because Apple does something doesn't mean it's what people want. We need companies willing to do something that apple isn't doing. Unless you only want tech to go one direction...

[robertbrunello]

The notch is the cornerstone of the downfall of humanity as we know it today.

[TheAkashicTraveller]

The problem with bezel less phones is that you'll lose screen space to your fingers. Turns out that you acually need somewhere to hold the thing, who would have thought.

[fhm]

The point of notches is that Apple's logo got bitten, so now they'll bite into your screen real estate.

[MulhollandDr]

Having a notch is like tearing down the wall that merges the bathroom and the bedroom to attain more space. Consequently, you're still left with a toilet, a sink & a tub, in one large room—with your bed.

[clairity_dx]

I think I'd rather just have a bezel on top than an ugly notch.

[harryturnbull]

conspiracy theory:
1.Apple makes notch
2. Everbody else follows
3. technology catches up - Apple makes truly bezzelless phone
4. everbody sick of the notch buys iphone

[gentuxable]

I hope Samsung stays as "notch-free" as they're "headphone-jacked" for the next couple of years. Not every hype is for a good reason!

[edwardallenthree]

Modest proposal: Make the screen have several notches, including one in the middle. Inside these notches, instead of cameras or useful things, brand logos can be placed, to remind you that you were smart and bought brand X.