Friday, April 10, 2020

IPhone 12: Software Comes First Iphone 12 Notchless

iPhone 12: Software Comes First

iPhone 12 prototype with no notch, according to Ben Geskin.

iPhone 12 prototype with no notch, according to Ben Geskin.

Credit: Ben Geskin

Despite a lackluster physical design, the iPhone 11 has been a hit. That bodes well for the iPhone 12, allowing Apple to design a phone that is more practical than flashy.

Market researchers IDC and IHS Markit both recently noted the strong global demand for iPhone 11, with in the fourth quarter of 2019, beating Samsung and Huawei.

iPhone 12: Software Comes First

This sales surge has happened despite the fact that the iPhone 11 falls well short of the curved-edges, notchless top, in-display fingerprint reader and other design flourishes of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 (not to mention the imminent Galaxy S20).

2020 HP Spectre x360 13. HP's newest Spectre 13* has a surprisingly thin top bezel that integrates a webcam and face ID cameras.

2020 HP Spectre x360 13. HP's newest Spectre 13* has a surprisingly thin top bezel that integrates a ... [+] webcam and face ID cameras.

Credit: Hewlett-Packard

iPhone 12 — more or less of the notch?

iPhone 12 rumors have raised the possibility of a , maybe on a high-end version of the phone.

One reportedly drops the notch and instead houses the Face ID and TrueDepth camera system, among other things, in the top bezel.

iPhone 12: Software Comes First

What matters

Throw 5G into the mix and Apple’s sales pitch for the iPhone 12 looks strong.

But what keeps users coming back to the iPhone isn’t a gorgeous design or the coolest hardware (those being Samsung’s strengths). And I’m probably in as good a position as anyone to explain why.

I use the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, the Pixel 4 XL, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max interchangeably. All great phones. But when push comes to shove, I usually grab the iPhone when I’m on the road because of the tight Apple ecosystem. The iPhone is an extension of my MacBook and vice-versa.

That’s just not true on other platforms. I also use a couple of Chromebooks, namely the Pixel Slate and Pixelbook Go. Google, for all of its technological prowess, hasn’t been able to achieve the seamless integration across its Pixel Chromebooks and Pixel phones.

And Windows 10 isn’t even close.

iPhone 12: Software Comes First

Ecosystem, software is boon to Apple iPhone design

Apple’s strong position in software is an advantage because it creates a loyal user base, allowing Apple to take its time introducing new tech to its phones and avoid bleeding edge hardware that often doesn’t work well.

Case in point: the in-display touch ID on the Samsung Galaxy s10. Over the past six months (since I started using the S10) the new in-display fingerprint ID has often not worked for me. More often than not, it takes a few tries to recognize my fingerprint. Sometimes more than few tries. If Apple tried to pull this off on an iPhone and it didn’t work, the howls of protest from the user base would be deafening.

So, even if Apple keeps the notch on the iPhone 12 and doesn’t do a design overhaul and makes 5G the centerpiece, hundreds of millions of consumers will buy the iPhone 12 simply because of the software.

Just ask the .

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iPhone 12: Software Comes First

Notes:

*I use both the 2020 HP Spectre x360 13 OLED and HP Elite Dragonfly. Both have thin top bezels housing face ID cameras and a webcam.

iPhone 12 render by Ben Geskin.

iPhone 12 render by Ben Geskin.

Credit: Ben Geskin

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