Apple Ditching iPhone Notch Starting With iPhone 12 Next Year?

Apple introduced the notch on the iPhone X in 2017, triggering a wave of copycats the world over. A new leak from designer Ben Geskin, however, reveals that the Cupertino tech giant is working on doing away with it while retaining the functions of the camera setup hidden in it.

Geskin, via Twitter, shared an image of what he claimed to be “One of the 2020 iPhone prototypes.” This particular model has a 6.7-inch display that doesn’t have the familiar notch. Instead, the display is surrounded by uniformly sized bezels on all sides.

Where’d all the tech go?

Regardless of what people say about the notch, it played an important role in giving the iPhone X and newer models the space it needed to house useful technologies. The front camera, along with the sensors needed for Face ID , are all housed in the notch.

That said, how does Apple intend to remove the notch while keeping the technologies needed for Face ID? Geskin said it’s by putting all of those sensors, cameras and other things inside the top bezel. These technologies include an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, a flood illuminator, an infrared camera, a speaker, a microphone, the front camera, and a dot projector.

Apple Insider noted that this move could result in the iPhone 12 having thick bezels on all sides. While some may appreciate Apple’s decision to remove the notch, some may not like the idea of an iPhone having thick bezels.

A previous report, however, implies that these bezels, if true, might not even be noticeable. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently said that the iPhone 12 might feature a design reminiscent of the beloved iPhone 4, which had two glass panels sandwiching a metal frame between them.

Apple could simply use the bezels in the glass to hide the metal frame. By doing this, the bezels become useful while becoming less of an eyesore.

That said, it’s best to take the news with a grain of salt since the notch removal leak remains unconfirmed, and the iPhone 4-inspired design is but a prediction from a noted analyst. Stay tuned for more details as they come.