2018 bad been a busy year and so far we’ve seen loads of android smartphone makers all jumping ships to add notches to their smartphones. It’s as if no modern android phone can b without a notch in 2018 but anyway, Notches might be coming to its final end or should I say untimely death with newer innovations come 2019.

Considering the fact that Samsung, Huawei and Oppo are all moving away to create a new designs for Android smartphones in 2018 might be the end of top notch designs on major android smartphones.

Of course there are tons of other companies who are just adding notches to their smartphone product lines in 2018 but majority of these companies aren’t mainstream or not so major like Samsung and Huawei.

Samsung never add a notch to their smartphone in the first place something which I had predicted from the beginning.

With loads of leaks and rumored images for the next Galaxy S10 coming next year even though we don’t know how it would look like, we’re most certain that smartphone makers are moving towards the full display designs.
Although with the invention of a punch hole to accommodate cameras on the displays of these smartphones.

Huawei is another big brand that is coming on board this design with its forthcoming Huawei Nova 4 and its Honor Subbrand Honor View 20.

Oppo Find X doesn’t have a punch hole on the screen but has its camera hidden within the top area of the device which slides out automatically when the camera application is launched.
But that’s not enough proof to declare the death of notches on android smartphones at least not yet.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 factor

As a matter of fact, Samsung still remains the number one best Android smartphone maker in the entire world and that’s a big prestige to hold on to.

And the company is known for their ability to create latest trends which are therefore followed by others in the industry.

Take the Galaxy S8 for example, the emergence took the entire mobile industry by surprise and that unique look and feel made Samsung Galaxy smartphones outstanding in every sense.

Now the Galaxy s10 might even be another thing. Okay the fact that even large companies like Huawei are switching to the full screen display and ditching the notch might be another great reason to conclude the end of notched screen ON Android devices though not on every single Android smart devices.

The Large Notch pool is overcrowded

Back in the days when a Tecno smartphone placed beside an Huawei device would simply have no difference considering its external look just the name makes it different.

The same is what we’ve seen in 2018. It’s as if there no other way new and emerging Android smartphone makers can innovate something entirely different than the notch design.

So all Android devices looks like an iPhone X and that’s something I personally do not like.
ALTHOUGH Apple is losing it a bit by bit considering their products which aren’t as great as expected, I do feel other Android smartphone makers are supposed to learn from this to innovate something really unique.

Back in the early 2000s when there were diverse feature phones with unique look and feel.
Nec 3 for example was a really great looking device for that time.

When you’re holding a $900 Premium Android smartphone or a $50 entry level Android smartphone, there is apparently no difference because they all look alike… The notch issue.

Designs aren’t permanent

As a UX designer myself, I do know that designs aren’t permanent. Newer generation of smartphone usually have different look and feel with upgrades that makes it fit into that year its evolved into.
The notch is just a trend that will actually go over time if not gone already.

The Oppo Find X from my point of view will revolutionise the Android mobile industry creating amazing design and amazing all screen look for Android devices.

While the chin might still be a bit of a problem because most people do not like it at all, it is actually ditched as far as the Oppo Find X is concerned.

The all screen display seen on the Huawei Nova 4 and the Rumored Galaxy S10 casing has a bit of chin to it.
The chin isn’t that bad as it might sound. It is a place to at least have a bit of grip when using the device with one hand and reaching for the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

Most Tech nerds don’t like the notch

I do like the notch though not the gigantic one found on the Google Pixel 3 XL. I’m talking about the teardrop notch on my Mate 20x which houses just the single camera.

But many tech nerds and geeks do not really fall for the notch especially for the fact that it takes away your easy access to the notification bar.

I don’t think Android smartphone makers really thought about this when they all started adding notches to their devices.

The notification bar is where I easily stare at to see recently received messages and all that.
This place is quite important to those who use their smartphone for almost anything.

But those Android phones with gigantic notches have gotten rid of this area and that could be sad since you’ll always to swipe down the notification center to see if you’ve got a new notification or not.

Aside this, I don’t really think the cut out should be thought of as a modern smartphone design. It’s just a way of reducing smartphone sizes while maintaining its huge screen. For example, the iPhone XS has a bigger screen than the IPhone 8 Plus which has a larger body.

There could be a way and there is a way already and that will be experienced in the coming year 2019.

As a matter of fact, I’d simply call the top Android phone makers geniuses for copying Apple’s design and innovating on it.

From my point of view, I’d say the iPhone X series and its notch could go a long way but Android phone makers are always evolving and that can be said about the Galaxy smartphones and Huawei.

With all these facts, I can boldly say that the end might have come to Top notch display on premium Android smartphones.

But we look on to the coming year to see how far this will go and how innovative smartphone makers would be.
And since Apple is about the design, the end might also come to the notch o IPhones.