Android P Developer Preview: Google embraces iPhone X-inspired notch screens

Expect more Android smartphones with iPhone X-inspired notch screens in the future.

Google releases Android P Developer Preview. (REUTERS)

Even though phones with edge-to-edge screen have been around for quite some time, Apple last year came up with its own version of full-screen phone, iPhone X. The smartphone, however, came with a notch on the top of the display. While most of the popular applications have been optmised for the notch display, Android players are also joining the bandwagon. And now Google is whole-heartedly embracing the notch display with its forthcoming Android P iteration.

Google on Wednesday debuted the first developer preview of Android P that comes with various new features and improvements. The highlight, however, is the support for notch display.

"Android P offers support for the latest edge-to-edge screens with display cutout for camera and speaker. The new Display Cutout class lets you find out the location and shape of the non-functional areas where content shouldn't be displayed. To determine the existence and placement of these cutout areas, use the getDisplayCutout() method," said Google on its developer website.

Essentially, Google is now allowing developers to create and optimise an application that can simulate a display with a cutout, which refers to a notch screen.

Android P emulator. (Google)

Android P emulator. (Google)

Android phones inspired by iPhone X notch

Asus at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC 2018) announced its new Zenfone 5 series that features a notch on the front. According to rumours, LG and OnePlus are also planning to introduce a notch on the screens for their upcoming flagship phones, dubbed as LG G7 and OnePlus 6.

Asus Zenfone 5 with iPhone X-style notch screen. (HTPhoto)

Asus Zenfone 5 with iPhone X-style notch screen. (HTPhoto)

Apart from Asus, some more Android smartphone brands have embraced the iPhone X notch screen. For instance, Leagoo S9 is an iPhone X copycat which replicates the same ultra slim bezels and a front notch.

But Apple may be done with the notch

While Android players are rushing to adopt the new screen design, a new report from Korea claims Apple may skip the iPhone X notch in its 2019 iPhones.

"Apple decided to get rid of the notch design starting from 2019 models and is having discussions with relevant companies." ETNews quotes an industry representative as saying. "It seems that Apple is planning to implement full-screen that is more complete in its new iPhones."