Goodbye notch, hello liquid glass: apple's endgame finally takes shape

For years, the smartphone industry has been plagued by a persistent, aesthetically jarring flaw: the display cutout. From the original iPhone 7’s infamous ‘chin’ to the increasingly intrusive notches and punch-hole designs, the relentless pursuit of bezel reduction has consistently sacrificed screen real estate to housing front-facing cameras and sensors.

A decade of display deficiencies

I’ve personally returned monitors with a single dead pixel – a visceral reaction rooted in a fundamental aversion to imperfection. A display, at its core, is a window, a surface for visual engagement. It shouldn’t be marred by deliberate intrusions, regardless of how ‘revolutionary’ they once seemed. The proliferation of these cutouts, fueled in large part by Apple’s initial adoption, represents a fundamental design misstep.

Samsung and apple’s stagnant battery race

Beyond the visual blight, the continued stagnation in battery capacity for both Samsung and Apple is frankly infuriating. While Apple has focused on iterative improvements to the chassis and display, the core performance metric – power – has lagged. It’s a frustrating prioritization, particularly as phones continue to increase in size and complexity.

The redmagic revelation

But there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The RedMagic 10 Pro, with its unapologetic design – a refreshingly uncompromised display – offered a viable alternative. It demonstrated that a premium viewing experience is entirely possible without sacrificing screen integrity. A rare and welcome development.

Apple’s 20th anniversary gamble

Next year, Apple is aiming to deliver a truly transformative product: the iPhone 20 Pro. Rumors suggest a ‘Liquid Glass Display’ featuring subtly curved edges, effectively creating the illusion of a floating screen. More significantly, the company is reportedly pursuing an under-display Face ID and camerasystem – a move that, if successful, will finally consign the notch to the digital graveyard. The implications are significant.

A collective shift

Crucially, this isn’t just an Apple initiative. Several of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers – Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, Honor, and Huawei – are independently pursuing similar display technologies and shifting front-facing components beneath the screen. The trend is undeniable.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t merely a design preference; it’s a necessity. A screen should be a canvas, not a battleground. And after a decade of fighting over millimeters, it’s about time we won.