Oneplus CEO explains importance of notch in 2018 flagship

It is confirmed! The OnePlus 6 is going to sport a notch at the top of its display just like the latest iPhone. The company revealed the first look of the design of its upcoming phone just a few days ago. And while many people think the notch is an ugly obstruction, it does serve a purpose. At least that's what OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has to say.

OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei had recently revealed that the company's latest phone would house the front camera, the earpiece, the ambient light sensor and an LED notification light inside the notch.

The company's CEO Pete Lau had also tweeted (which he later deleted) why people should learn to accept the notch. Now, Lau has gone ahead and given some insight into the company's rationale behind the design, which was first introduced by the iPhone X (REVIEW).

Lau posted a lengthy statement on a OnePlus forum, explaining and justifying why the notch was the most practical solution for OnePlus. He said "the space occupied by the notch typically goes unused in standard use."

Lau explained that the notch is a solution that enables manufacturers to make the most out of every square inch of the device.

The notch display was made mainstream by Apple's iPhone X. Soon, it became a fashionable thing to have on a smartphone and several Android-based smartphones have carried the notch. However, Lau's justification proves that the notch is not only a trend, but also a solution for maximizing the screen's real estate.

He claims that smartphone components no longer require the entire width of the top bezel, allowing OnePlus to focus on making the most of the display. He added that the decision was made to pursue the "optimal phone design."

Lau explains that the central placement of the front-facing camera is crucial to ensure accurate alignment and orientation in the selfies shot with the phone and also while using the Face Unlock feature. He also says that OnePlus could have considered a "pop-out" camera – like the one on the Vivo Apex concept phone – but that solution seemed impractical for the current generation smartphones.

Lau also revealed that the notch on the OnePlus 6 measures 19.61 x 7.68 mm and occupies a minimal amount of space.

Considering that OnePlus' devices have been gaining popularity, it will need to scale up production. For this OnePlus has a strong OEM network which includes companies such as Huawei and Aus, meaning it will have readily procurable displays to keep up with the global demand.

The company's proprietary OxygenOS is also said to be optimized for the notch-based design. The new optimizations include access to notifications and other shortcuts from the "ears" on both sides of the notch.

The OnePlus 6 will, however, have a slightly bigger bottom bezel/chin than the likes of the iPhone X or the Samsung Galaxy S9, and Pete Lau reiterated the fact that it is a cost-cutting measure that OnePlus had to take in order to offer flagship-level specs at lower price points compared to other manufacturers like Apple and Samsung.

The OnePlus 6 is expected to be launched in Q2, most likely May or June, this year and is said to come with a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED display with 10180x2280 pixels, and an octa-core Snapdragon 845 Processor along with 6GB or 8GB of RAM.