I was trying to avoid this topic because I felt it was too easy at the time. But after it looks like more companies are going this route I think it is time I weigh in. If some small (little known) android manufacturer adds a notch so they can grab that “cheap iPhone” look, for me it is what it is, let’s move on. It is nothing new for a cheap android manufacturer to copy Apple, we have seen this for years now. But looks as if we are seeing more big name android manufacturers add the “iPhone X” notch. Now to be fair there were other companies that had the notch before Apple. But unlike the Essential PH-1, the iPhone X had a wider appeal and more market success. As a result many will look at them as the originator of the notch. Though I would prefer the look of the PH-1 over the iPhone X, I have to admit Apple managed to gather more success from the notch design.
Companies like LG, One Plus, and ASUS are clearly looking to copy the iPhone design. The smaller companies like Xiaomi I understand, they know what they are. But LG and even One Plus (who is creeping up to become a major contender) have no need to do this. Yes we are wanting more display and less bezel but Apple did not come up with the only design for this. And LG especially given they made the Pixel 2XL for Google, which is a great example of a way to shrink the bezel and make use of the space (dual front facing speakers), have a blueprint of how to do this.
I really do not understand the desire to copy Apple on this one and really think manufacturers need to go back to thinking outside the box versus trying to be Apple clones. If anything improve on the design of the Essential Ph-1, but leave the notch to Apple. There have to be more creativity than this to where the iPhone X is considered the phone design to model.
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