A recent release of Android P images suggest that the Google Pixel 3 display notch won’t actually be happening after all.
After the iPhone X released with the signature “notch” that housed the FaceID technology, a number of Android manufacturers followed suit with their own phones that were inspired by the iPhone’s design. While this isn’t the first time that Android manufacturers have been inspired by something Apple creates, the Notch was particularly controversial with many Android users bemoaning the inclusion on their favorite phones.
After an update to the Android operating system included support for a notch on smartphones, many were under the impression that we’d see a Google Pixel 3 display notch on their upcoming phone. Recent Android P images seem to put these rumors to rest, however, suggesting that Google isn’t pursuing such a radical design change with their new flagship.
Today’s leak contains images straight from Android P, and suggests that we won’t see a Google PIxel 3 display notch after all. The images come from Slashleaks, and while these designs don’t necessarily mean that the Google Pixel 3 display notch is dead in the water, it would make sense that the company would use their own flagship to model these instructional pages.
If the images are to be believed, it seems as if the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL will look much the same as their predecessors, which is to be expected considering the fact that this will be only the third generation of smartphones to release from Google themselves. Changing up the design so radically so soon may have put the company on uneven footing – especially considering that there were a number of bugs with the Google Pixel 2 that still need to be ironed out.
Outside of this new information regarding the Google Pixel 3 display notch, we have precious little information about what we can expect from the upcoming flagship. We can, however, make some reasonable guesses as to what we’ll see with the next generation of Google smartphone.
It’s pretty easy to tell what the phones will feature in terms of power, with the vast majority of high-end flagships opting for the latest and greatest processor from Qualcomm – which will be the Snapdragon 855 when the phone finally releases. We should also expect a good amount of RAM that will allow the device to go toe-to-toe with any offering from other luxury manufacturers.
It’s when we get to features and design that it’s much more difficult to lean what is coming with the new flagship. With the Google PIxel 3 display notch seeming more unlikely after this recent leak, we don’t have a ton to go off of in terms of the way the phone will look and function.
With that said, we expect to see a little more of the same with some serious upgrades – just as we saw with the Google Pixel 2. While the PIxel 2 definitely had its share of issues, there’s no denying that it was a step up from the original Pixel – and we have no reason to suggest that the PIxel 3 won’t do the same. With a similar design and upgraded specifications, the Pixel 3 may give Google some serious hardware sales.
While it’s important to keep some of what makes the Pixel so great, it’s equally important to provide something that will make users want to buy the phone. We expect to see something that is a big step up from its predecessor – perhaps some sort of in-display fingerprint scanner or massively increased camera specifications.
At this point, however, any musings about the new flagship are largely conjecture – especially considering the fact that the Google Pixel 3 display notch rumor that many were spreading for quite some time seems to be less likely than ever before.
It’s important to note that these leaked images don’t necessarily mean that the Google Pixel 3 display notch won’t actually be present, but it’s a good indicator that we’ll be seeing something much more traditional with the upcoming device. This may be a good thing, especially considering that Apple is considering ditching the feature themselves within the next couple of smartphone generations.
It will be interesting to see what sort of design direction Google decides to go in. Will we see the standard 2018 fare with razor-thin bezels and an edge-to-edge display? Or will Google attempt to establish themselves as a trailblazer with something new entirely? All signs point to more of the same with some upgraded features to catch the eye of buyers, but there’s always the chance that we could be pleasantly surprised.
