2020 May Be the Year We Say Goodbye to the Notch

• The "notch" is considered ugly, obsolete, and unpopular enough to ditch it forever.
• The next trend in smartphone screen design could be the “mosaic screens”, hiding cameras underneath.
• The first leaks and rumors for 2020 talk about a notch-less iPhone 12 and the story are the same for other major players too.

Tech experts believe that the “notch” that is dominating the smartphone market right now will be gone in 2020. The design trend started with the release of the iPhone X back in September 2017, with almost everyone rushing to copy. People with even mild obsessive-compulsive disorder expressed their abhorrence to the notch, and many others simply didn’t like the trade-offs that came with more screen real estate on the top edges. To many, the notch just didn’t feel right, so smartphone makers experimented with motorized pop-up cameras, punch holes, and generally came up with various contraptions. None of these was established as a new standard though. Apple, after all, continued to need the notch to house all of the sensors that are deployed in the iPhone, and Apple is the “de facto” trend-setter.

With that being said, the first rumors and supposed leaks of the upcoming iPhone 12 show a notch-less device. According to LetsGoDigital, the new handset will feature a fingerprint scanner, camera, and infrared sensor hiding under the screen. The Dutch website sourced this info from a patent that focuses on the user interface, so it may or may not be corresponding to the reality. However, Apple knows that the notch is outdated, so they are surely looking for ways to solve this "image" problem.

The same is the case with Xiaomi, who has confirmed that they have developed an operational “under-screen camera” technology. Oppo and Honor are reportedly working on similar solutions, as it seems that consumers like the idea of a special low-reflective glass with high transmittance that can change between being transparent and being opaque in an instant.

Xiaomi's Under-Display Camera Technology could be the ultimate solution for a Full Screen Display coexisting with a front camera! RT if you love it. #InnovationForEveryone pic.twitter.com/8e7EdEBn8J

— Wang Xiang (@XiangW_) June 3, 2019

For those seeking the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare to be amazed. 📲

You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY

— OPPO (@oppo) June 3, 2019

The latest reports present a new trend dubbed the “mosaic”, which combines the premise of the transparent displays from above with some of the annoyance of the notches. In mosaic displays, the screen won’t continue across the area above the selfie camera without viewing quality discounts. Instead, it will look like a pixelated mosaic which isn’t exactly obtrusive but is still far from being perfect. According to the reports that are hitting the news right now, “mosaic screens” will be the best solution that will be offered to consumers in 2020.

Mosaic pic.twitter.com/klbC7mqBRH

— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) December 31, 2019

While it doesn’t look too bad when it’s small in size like for tear-drop designs, it will get a lot worse on larger notches like the one that could be deployed in the next-get iPhone. The following is an image sourced from Apple's Support page, and it really looks like a mosaic-style notch.

What do you think about the notch, mosaic, punch hole, and motorized camera solutions? Which one do you prefer? Let us know in the comments down below, or on our socials, on Facebook and Twitter.