Joshua Topolsky tears off the band-aid.
The “notch†on the new iPhone X is not just strange, interesting, or even odd — it is bad. It is bad design, and as a result, bad for the user experience. The justification for the notch (the new Face ID tech, which lets you unlock the device just by looking at it) could have easily been accomplished with no visual break in the display. Yet here is this awkward blind spot cradled by two blobs of actual screenspace.
It is, put plainly, a visually disgusting element. One which undermines the core premise of the iPhone X’s design (“all screenâ€), and offers a feature as an excuse which is really an answer in search of a question. To wit: no one wanted or asked for Face ID, and the feature actually raises new concerns about security for users. From a performance standpoint, there is hardly a differentiating factor between the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus beyond display size and type — the former is a flagship only because Apple wants it to be one.
Plenty has been written about the mind-numbing, face-palming, irritating stupidity of the notch. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it. I would love to say that this awful design compromise is an anomaly for Apple. But it would be more accurate to describe it as the norm.
GoneWithTheWind
I’m not a big fan of smart phones. I have one for the GPS, tethering and a couple of the apps. They have their place. ATT gave me mine for free otherwise I would still have my old flip phone. I’m sure Apple makes the best smart phone in the world, but it costs $800-900 (at least that is what people tell me. I see people, mostly young people, who are in debt, on welfare, even bankruptcy filers who have Iphones. This seem more like an obsession than a necessity.
By the way I am thinking of going back to my cheapo flip phone with my cheapo service. I almost never carry my smart phone because it is too big and awkward. I can’t just slip it into my pocket like I did with my flip phone. Anyone else have this problem ?
D.
The all-American heavy duty Cat S60 is not a bad pick, in spite of a quality of the photos it can take that are not at the top, and far from Iphone’s and Samsung’s.
It is military-like proof against any fall from a height of 6 feet (I tested it twice, accidentally), and it still works after hours under more than 6 feet of water, and 15 feet when its special water protection is on!
It is the only smartphone with an integrated flir camera (which proves to be very helpful when you are looking for your lost pet in the night or in dark environment, or for hunting, or also for spotting a dead or overheating electrical wire or component).
It remains relatively expensive, but still far from an iPhone.
I recommend it.
Dan Kurt
I predict that the iPhone X design within two years, when production keeps up with demand, will sell in the 100s of millions and Apple will be the first Trillion dollar company.
Dan Kurt
bob sykes
Steven Jobs was a design genius, and he had to fight the other Apple designers to the death to get his ideas implemented. There is no replacement for a Jobs, and regression to the mean is unavoidable.
We need to appreciate the geniuses while we have them. They are extremely rare and irreplaceable.
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