Do Android Phones Need to Dial It Down a Notch?

Android phones are rushing to adopt the iPhone X ‘notch’ at the top of the screen, but do they need to do this? Is it justified to copy a hardware feature that’s a stop-gap or a compromise in order to accommodate certain other features? Android enthusiasts Aditya Shenoy and Rishi Alwani join host Pranay Parab to discuss. We begin the episode by talking about the iPhone X notch and why Apple made this design choice. Then we talk about some Android phone makers that have adopted this controversial design and their motivations behind it. We discuss topics such as user demand for the notch, production issues, iPhone X notch experience, Android notch experience, and why certain brands have avoided shunning bezels entirely just yet. 

Then we talk about Android P's official notch support and what it means for other Android phones. We talk about how the notch hinders Android Oreo, people using devices for longer, and iPhone battery replacements. We wonder whether the notch is actually hurting the Android experience for a whole bunch of people rather than enhancing it. We mention the Android makers that are touting the notch as a positive and how their marketing gimmicks aren't working.

Next we look at the future of smartphones, where we discuss whether the notch is a ‘stop gap’ solution. Here we talk about wireless charging, ports or lack thereof, and the front camera. Finally we wonder whether the next Google Pixel smartphone will feature a notch. Then we talk about Google's stand on the headphone jack, and how the notch changed the iOS experience.

That's all for this week's episode of Orbital, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.