The new iPhone X looks stunning, except for that hideous notch at the top of the phone (AAPL)

pulse

September 14, 2017 6:56 PM

Let's hope Apple finds a way to hide that ugly notch at the top of the phone using software.

The new iPhone X, which Apple revealed on Tuesday, is the most futuristic, most expensive phone Apple has ever built.

But have you seen that notch at the top of the phone? Yuck.

Apple event attendees who got to try the phone already say the iPhone X is easily the most gorgeous iPhone ever built, especially with its edge-to-edge OLED screen that Apple calls its "Super Retina Display." Between that, wireless charging, updated internals and more, the phone seems to be worth its $1,000-to-start asking price.

But again, there's that notch — the lone blemish on an otherwise stunning display.

The notch, of course, serves an important purpose. Apple calls this its TrueDepth Camera system, which is comprised of the front-facing camera, an infrared camera to identify your face, a flood illuminator to identify you in the dark, and the dot projector that projects 30,000 invisible dots onto your face to create your unique "facial map" — the new Face ID system uses the data from these cameras and sensors to authenticate your identity.

And so, the notch is necessary. But based on early demos, it doesn't look like Apple is doing much software-wise to hide the notch. It should. If customers are going to spend $1,000 on the iPhone X, they should have an optional setting that places a black status bar along the top of the phone to hide the notch.

Some people who have already tried the iPhone X say the notch isn't too much of a distraction, especially since the new "Super Retina Display" is so vivid — but it's easy to see how it could be annoying in various apps or while watching movies. It's hard to not notice the "ears" on either side of the notch; it's just not nice to look at.

I thought it would but, whe... @ Rene Ritchie

The edge-to-edge display is clearly a futuristic concept, but as a consumer, here's hoping Apple offers a way to hide that notch, either system-wide or per app. It's a small tweak that would go a long way.

Even in its own marketing, Apple says "o." It never said it wanted to make a "mostly-screen phone with a partially-obstructed display to make room for more sensors." With some software magic, though, Apple could give iPhone X users that all-screen, notch-less experience.

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