In the early stages of smartphones, having black borders at the top and bottom of the screen was considered normal. Even earlier models, capable of playing Snake, were already impressive.
For the first generation of smartphones, the screen occupied at least around 70% of the front of the device, which, in my opinion, was a good start.
With rapidly advancing technology, black borders, notches, and punch holes no longer satisfy our expectations. Everyone hopes for smartphones with minimal bezels.
Is it possible to have a completely seamless screen on the front?
Yes, it is technically achievable now, but currently challenging to implement on OLED screens.
Essential Components on the Front of a Smartphone
Let's take a look at the necessary components that need to be retained on the front of a smartphone, aside from the screen:
1. Camera
2. Speaker
3. Ambient Light Sensor
4. Facial Recognition
5. Fingerprint Recognition
1 to 4 are generally indispensable.
The speaker can be relatively easily addressed; current technology allows the speaker to be positioned very close to the edge, almost without any noticeable flaws, and sound quality can still be maintained at a certain level.
Devices for fingerprint recognition can currently be placed on the back, side, or directly concealed under the screen.
One essential component on the front of a smartphone that is difficult to omit and hide is the "camera"
You might say, "I don't take selfies, so let's just skip the front camera!" However, achieving facial recognition functionality without a front camera is challenging.
The camera itself can be directly hidden under the screen, but it may be affected by the LCD panel and backlight module of the screen.
Not all types of LCD panels have a high enough level of transparency.
Technically, hiding the camera behind the screen is more suitable for LCDs and is not well-suited for the current mainstream OLED technology.
The "hole punch screen" also comes with its costs and risks.
↳ This hole needs to penetrate both the LCD and backlight panels.
The "hole punch screen" is not a simple, cheap, and easy solution.
Punching holes directly impacts the screen yield, leading to a decrease in the overall quality and an increase in production costs.
To ensure that the front camera has sufficient space for proper functionality and to maximize the screen-to-body ratio, most manufacturers currently lean towards adopting the "hole punch screen."
It is said that Micro LED panels inherently have stronger light-transmitting capabilities, and perhaps this will be the direction for the future development of full-screen displays.
Until new solutions emerge, thinking about how to cleverly design and conceal the punch holes on OLED screens remains a practical approach.
Centered is the Best Choice
Next, here is my personal opinion:
I personally believe that placing the punch hole directly in the top center of the screen is the most ideal solution. This makes it easier to rely on the symmetry of UI design to conceal the "hole punch screen."
Relying on UI interface design to disguise the screen's hole is a very clever method.
You might scoff at the name "notch" used for Apple's iPhones, but considering the symmetry in UI design, I believe it is an excellent approach.
Leaving the punch hole at the four corners of the screen would be challenging to ignore because it directly disrupts the "symmetry" attribute.
For human observation, objects that lack symmetry can easily evoke a sense of "oddity."
Placing a black hole at the corners of the screen would actually make it more noticeable.
Directly punching a hole in the center is a simple and safe approach.
Moreover, using symmetric UI design can effectively conceal this hole. With a strong UI/UX design team, achieving this task is entirely possible.
Of course, there are situations where it's challenging to avoid the drawbacks of the "hole punch screen," such as when using Google Maps or watching YouTube in full-screen mode.
Habit becomes second nature.
Additionally, I agree with the saying "you get used to it over time.
" I once held a "Bangs Screen" device for a while, and over time, I got used to it.
