As per a latest blog post for developers, Google is making it clear that Android P phones will not have more than two cutouts.
Like it or not, notched phones are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. And with Android P being designed to support the notch, Google is basically giving Android phone makers an incentive to come out with more notched phones. However, Google is also putting a limit to the number of notches a phone can have. As per a latest blog post for developers, Google is making it clear that Android P phones will not have more than two cutouts.
We are yet to see phones with two notches, but Google is predicting a possible future where that happens and is making sure the number stays at two and no more than that. In the blog post posted by Megan Potoski, Product Manager, Android System UI, highlights that Google is working with device manufacturers to mandate a few requirements. One of them is that there will be no more than two cutouts on a device and another is that there will be no cutout on the left or right long edge of the device.
This essentially means manufacturers can either go with two notches on the top or bottom or a notch each on the top and bottom as possible combinations. These restrictions have been mandated so that apps run properly on displays with cutouts. Additionally, Google also highlights that in order for cutouts to not intrude or negatively affect apps, two requirements are needed. One is that the status bar should not exceed the height of the notch in portrait mode. The other is that the entire cutout area must be letterboxed in fullscreen or landscape mode.
It is already known that Android P will support cutouts of various sizes so that apps are better optimised for any and all notches. These new requirements will ensure apps look better and provide an immersive experience while at the same time make sure that users are not affected by the notch cutting a part of the app. While we have seen the number of notched Android phones growing increasingly this year, consumers are still divided on the notch. There are some who feel it is too distracting, asymmetrical and spoils the overall aesthetics of the device while others who are not too bothered by it.
Google says there are 16 devices so far with cutouts from 11 different Android OEMs. While most of these devices are in the high-end segment, the notch has trickled down to more affordable phones like the latest Honor 9N and Oppo A3s. With Android P embracing the notch and the final version expected to release soon, we can expect to see more devices (including Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 XL) adopting the notch over the next few months.
