The 2019 iPhone X Notch Could Be Much Smaller

[Maura]

According to a new report from ETNews, via MacRumors, it looks like Apple might have got the message that the iPhone X notch is not its most popular feature, to say the least, as the paper’s industry sources say that the company is “looking into” combining the front-facing camera and Face ID on 2019 iPhones. Doing so would most likely mean that the TrueDepth sensor doesn’t require such a big housing, or “notch.”

It’s hard to say just how accurate this early report is about the 2019 iPhone line-up, as it’s not exactly clear from the information provided how Apple would be able to combine Face ID’s infrared camera, dot projector, and flood illuminator in a single face-recognition module.

The notch has been criticised by many for its poor design, with the likes of The Outline’s Joshua Topolsky saying that the notch is “bad design…bad for the user experience.” Samsung even poked fun at the notch in one of its notorious Apple-bashing adverts. Other uses are very happy with the notch and have no complaints about it, and some even love it. However, with Apple’s Sir Jony Ive now back in charge of design at Apple after overseeing the development of the Apple Park Campus, could it be that he’s already taking a more hands-on approach in terms of design? Don’t expect anything to happen with the notch this year, though, as the 2018 iPhone X line-up is likely to be similar in appearance to the current version.

Source: 2019 iPhones Could Have Smaller Notch as Apple 'Looking Into' Combining Face ID and Front Camera