Recently, Google announced that Android phone manufacturers will only be allowed to have a few notches on their future smartphones. The news arrives as the popularity of the iPhone X with its screen-cutout, or notch, is evident, and Android phone makers are implementing the idea on their designs.
According to a Cult of Mac report, Google has informed phone manufacturers that only two notches will be permitted on phones. It’s unknown if any phone makers had attempted to present a smartphone that had three notches, as of this report. For the most part, the notch, a cutout area on the front of the phone’s screen, provides useful space. This area generally allows for the front-facing camera lens and phone’s earpiece to exist on many phones.
Reportedly, 11 different manufacturers have produced a total of 16 Android devices which have screen cutouts on board. They include Huawei and LG. Samsung has yet to fully adopt the idea for their own phones. The upcoming iPhone models are all expected to feature the notch as part of their design due so it’s only natural that other companies are following suit. However, Google wants to make sure they don’t get too carried away with notches.
The official Android Developers Blog shed more light on the notch situation. Android System UI Product Manager Megan Potoski said in a post, “You won’t see multiple cutouts on a single edge, or more than two cutouts on a device.” She added, “You won’t see a cutout on the left or right long edge of the device.” Phone manufacturers who were considering this will be heading back to the drawing board. App developers also will have options to make sure their apps work well with phones featuring Android P and a cutout.
A number of phones are already able to run a beta version of Android P, the upcoming mobile operating system. The Android Developers Blog mentions that Android P support allows for developers to test their app as if there was a cutout present. There is also an Android Emulator which allows developers to see a simulated cutout on any device running the Android P operating system. Some of the current phones able to run the beta Android P include One Plus 6, Nokia 7 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ2, and select Google Pixel phones.
Read More: https://www.rappler.com/technology/news/208686-google-notch-limitations-android-p
