Following the release of the iPhone X from Apple, smartphone makers have been fascinated with the idea of a notch. Seeing such fascination by the manufacturers, Google, which so far hasn’t introduced a notch in its phone, has come up with a policy to limit the number of notches in the Android P phones.
Android P phones – 3 notches not allowed
Google’s new policy of putting the limit on notches comes as the search giant develops official notch support into the Android P. Google probably believes that going forward the smartphone makers may try to include more than one notch in their smartphones so as to make them unique design-wise and add more sensors.
Thus, to ensure smooth running of Android P phones with a notch (or notches), Google is mandating not more than two notches per phone. Google announced this in a blog post for developers on Tuesday. In the blog post, the company said it is working with the device partners “to mandate a few requirements” for app compatibility purposes, including a limit on notches.
As per Google’s mandate, Android P phones must not have “more than two cutouts on a device.” Further, only one notch is acceptable per side, and notches are only allowed on the top and bottom part (not on the left and right).
Further, Google notes that to ensure that the notch does not negatively impact the apps, the developers will have to follow two more mandates. One, the status bar must be bigger than the height of the notch in the portrait mode. Second, developers must ensure that the entire cutout area is letterboxed in fullscreen or landscape mode.
“The good news is, for the most part your app should work as intended even on a cutout device,” Google says. In addition, Google encourages developers to test their apps on all screens and versions to ensure that the apps run smoothly on all types of devices, including the ones with the notch.
Is the notch the next big thing?
Google says that presently there are 16 Android devices from 11 different OEMs that are fitted with a notch, including devices like OnePlus 6, Huawei P20 Pro and the LG G7. With phone release season nearing, there are good chances of more smartphones adopting a notch (or even notches).
“Smartphones are quickly moving towards smaller bezels and larger aspect ratios,” Google wrote. “On these devices, display cutouts are a popular way to achieve an edge-to-edge experience while providing space for important sensors on the front of the device.”
For now, we haven’t heard of any phones with more than one notch or with a notch on the side, so Google’s ban is all theoretical, and does not affect any smartphone maker. But, it is a smart move from the search giant and is in the interest of the users. The move will ensure that the apps work as they are intended to.
Google might fear notches, but there are many who believe that the smartphone makers may find an alternative to maximize the screen without compromising on the sensors. Smartphones like the Vivo Apex and the Oppo Find X suggests that the industry is ready to move beyond the notch. Further, with flexible phones coming from Samsung, Huawei and others, there are good chances that the notch will become history soon.
Will Pixel 3 get a notch?
Despite the new technologies coming out, one upcoming handset that is expected to come with a notch is the Google Pixel 3. Recently leaked images of what is believed to be the Pixel 3 XL show a big notch at the top. The search giant is expected to release the Pixel 3 phones in a few weeks time.
Talking of the specs, the Pixel 3 phones will come with the latest and greatest specs. The handsets are expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, feature 4GB of RAM and come with 64GB/128GB of storage. There is no information on the battery capacity, but not much change is expected on this front. The Pixel 2 and 2 XL featured 2,700mAh and 3,520mAh batteries, respectively.
Based on last year’s launch schedule, the Pixel 3 handsets would arrive by early October. The handsets will likely arrive with a starting price tag of $649 for the Pixel 3 and $849 for the Pixel 3 XL.
