Apple iPhone 14 might ditch the notch, but why do smartphones need it anyway?

Before the iPhone 13 launch in 2021, it was speculated that Apple might remove the huge notch from the model. However, the iPhone 13 came out with a rather "smaller" notch than its predecessor. Nevertheless, Apple decided to stick with the notch for its iPhone 13 series. Interestingly, the latest Apple MacBook Pro models also come with an iPhone-like notch, indicating Apple's recognition of the notch as a plausible branding element. The question that now arises is - will Apple create a notch-less iPhone in 2022? A new report might throw some light on it. 

New iPhones are usually launched in the month of September every year and hence there is a long time between until some official details or solid leaks might come out. However, enthusiasts and fans around the world have been waiting for an iPhone without a notch for a long time now. Notch-less smartphones have been around for a long time now. Other popular smartphone manufacturers around the world such as Samsung, OnePlus, Google, Vivo and many more have adopted the notch-less display in the form of a punch-hole screen. 

Apple iPhone 14 might be the first iPhone to have a notch-less display

According to the latest Power On podcast by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple might ditch the notch on iPhones this year. Additionally, a report by Gsmarena suggests that Apple can drop the notch on new iPhone devices by placing the 3D Face ID tech under the display. It is also reported that Apple has been working on under-display Face ID tech for quite some time now. Until now, the company has justified the notch on its smartphones as a space to fit the Face ID module. If the speculation comes to be true, Apple iPhone 14 will be the first iPhone to feature a notch-less display. 

Why do smartphones need a notch? 

A couple of years ago, smartphones from almost all manufacturers came with a thick bezel on the top and the bottom of the display. Back then, it was the top bezel of the smartphone that was used as a space to house the front earpiece, a camera sensor, proximity sensor and more. Now, as the display size on smartphones has extended, tech giants are looking for ways to create smartphones with uninterrupted displays, housing the camera in a motorized module that rests inside a smartphone (OnePlus 7 Pro) or creating in-display front cameras (Samsung Galaxy Fold 3). However, these solutions are not feasible and increase the production cost of a smartphone. 

Hence, having a notch is not only a feasible but a practical solution to the problem. There are multiple types of the notch in a smartphone. Primarily, the notch provides for a space to accommodate any front-facing sensors such as cameras, or the Face ID tech in the case of Apple iPhones. As it goes, front cameras in smartphones do not require much space and hence, consumers have seen multiple companies opt for a punch-hole display on the front panel. However, in the case of an iPhone, Apple has been shipping them with a unique Face ID technology which involves the usage of an infrared sensor and a face mapping projector. It is to house all this sophisticated equipment that Apple iPhones have a rather huge notch. The OnePlus 7 Pro showcased below has no notch, the Vivo X60 features a hole-punch cutout and the iPhone 12 features a huge notch. 

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