Apple’s 2020 iPhones Rumored To Begin Phaseout Of TrueDepth Display Notch
Few topics are as divisive as politics and religion. The advent of display notches on smartphones may not quite reach the same level of contention during Thanksgiving dinners, but it certainly attracts outspoken individuals who are all too eager to share their opinions on the subject. It may one day be moot, though, as even Apple might be getting rid of the notch, starting with its 2020 iPhone models.
Longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote in a note to investors that Apple is likely to shrink the size of the front-facing camera in next year's iPhone models. The reduction in size of the TrueDepth camera could subsequently result in a smaller notch, or even its absence altogether. That is not entirely clear, however.
The notch was first introduced on Andy Rubin's Essential Phone, albeit in teardrop form. Apple ran with the idea starting with its iPhone X models, which increased the size of the notch, and it has stuck around through the latest generation iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR models.
Several Android phones also now sport a notched design. More recently, however, phone makers have been experimenting with alternative designs. Samsung, for example, moved to a punch-hole cutout on its latest Galaxy devices, while the Vivo V15 Pro debuted with a pop-up camera. Just last month, Oppo showcased the world's first under-display selfie camera for smartphones.
The trend seems to be towards finding different ways of implementing the front camera on a full-front display, rather than lean on bezels or notches.
Aside from the possible change to the front camera, Kuo also predicts that the rear camera on 2020 iPhone models might also sport a seven-piece lens system. Camera performance is a huge point of focus for smartphone makers, so this would perhaps be less surprising than moving away from the notched design. Time will tell.
