Will Apple eventually abandon the famous notch, popularized by the iPhone X, which allows the front camera and other sensors to be placed on the front of its smartphones? According to a new rumor, this will only happen in 2022.
This is what is suggested by an article recently published by our colleagues at 9to5Mac, which relayed a note that would have been published by analyst Ming Chi Kuo. According to this article, the iPhone 14 Pro might have, instead of the notch, a bubble on the screen for the front camera.
Finally, iPhone with bubbles instead of the notch?
The screen of this iPhone would thus be inspired by the designs of premium smartphones from brands like Xiaomi, Samsung, or OnePlus, on which the notch has already been abandoned for a while. And if the 9to5Mac article specifically mentioned the iPhone 14 Pro, this does not exclude Apple from adopting the bubble (instead of the notch) on the other variants, if this is possible.
Previously, media reported that the 2021 iPhones should still have a notch for the front camera. Nevertheless, the Cupertino company could reduce the size of it. But the big changes in terms of design will come with the iPhone 14 and its variants.
An iPhone SE 5G?
In 2020, Apple launched a new mid-range and compact iPhone: the iPhone SE 2020. And a priori, there should not be a new iPhone SE this year.
Nevertheless, according to the source of 9to5Mac, in 2021, the Cupertino company would launch an iPhone SE 5G. It would be the first affordable iPhone with 5G connectivity.
Indeed, the price of the iPhone SE of 2022 should be quite close to that of the iPhone SE of 2020. On the design side, it would still have a 4.7-inch screen, with an appearance close to that of the iPhone SE of 2020. ‘iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8.
Meanwhile, some brands are already thinking about the invisible front camera
While Apple is finally considering using a bubble on the screen instead of the notch on borderless iPhones, some manufacturers are already considering switching to the next technology: the invisible front camera.
In essence, this involves hiding the front camera behind the screen, under a section that allows light to pass through. Currently, the only model with an invisible front camera is the ZTE Axon 20 5G.
But if the design of this device is impressive (with a screen without notch or bubbles), the quality of the photos taken by the invisible camera leaves something to be desired. However, Xiaomi also intends to mass-produce models with invisible front cameras. And this brand claims that thanks to its algorithms, its front camera hidden under the screen will be as efficient as those placed on a notch or in a bubble. But of course, we will have to wait until Xiaomi launches its first model using the front camera hidden under the screen to verify this claim.
For its part, Samsung could also launch a smartphone with an invisible front camera this year. Indeed, currently, rumors are already circulating about the Galaxy Z Fold 3. And according to them, the foldable smartphone could have an invisible front camera, hidden under the screen, as well as stylus support. S Pen.
But of course, for the moment, while awaiting official information, all these rumors are still to be considered with extreme caution.
Also remember that in 2019, some brands tried to remove the notch and bubbles by using mechanical devices that make the front camera appear when needed (for example, Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3, or even the OnePlus 7T Pro). But eventually, these mechanical devices were abandoned.
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