Samsung just patented the worst notch alternative ever
If you thought the screen notch was bad, wait till you see the eyesore that Samsung has proposed instead. We’re just hoping it never becomes a reality and doesn’t show up on the rumoured Samsung Galaxy S20.
They say that a camel is a horse designed by committee, and that might just be the reason that Samsung’s latest smartphone patent has an unsightly hump at the top of the screen resembling that of a dromedary.
Dubbed the “reverse notch”, the module houses sensors and a speaker but somehow manages to combine design tips from the top-bezel and the notch to create a Frankenstein’s monster of aesthetics which we dearly hope is never brought into existence.
Image Credit: LetsGoDigital
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Samsung explained the baffling new look with the following patent description, according to LetsGoDigital:
The present design is a display module with a display panel attached to the back of the cover window used in a smartphone. The cover window includes a protruding portion at the top center and corresponds to the protruding portion. By placing the cameras, speakers etc in there, the screen size can be maximized while creating a rectangle screen.
At the moment, Samsung uses cutaway cameras to maximise the screen size on its flagships, as seen on both the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the Samsung Galaxy S10. Prior to that, the brand had steadfastly refused to join the notch trend, preferring a full bezel rather than accommodating a module that intrudes into the screen.
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Plenty of other manufacturers have found ingenious and elegant workarounds to the notch problem, and Samsung might want to take note. The OnePlus 7T Pro features a small, square pop-up camera module, while the Oppo Reno has a cool “shark fin” pop-up camera module design. Meanwhile, the Asus Zenfone 6 has a somersaulting rear camera module, which can flip over to become the front-facing camera. In fact, relatively few brands have retained the wide notch at the top of the smartphone screen, with the notable of exception of Apple’s new iPhone 11 range.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
