In an attempt to increase the screen size and to keep up with the bezel-less design trend started off by Essential Phone and iPhone X, smartphone OEMs have jumped onto the notched-display bandwagon. Display notches are essentially a cut-out, at the top, of a part of the smartphone’s display. Some of the advantages of display notches are it offers the ability to retain the display area on either side of it, for showing information such as time, battery percentage and more.

With display notches, smartphone OEMs are now in a position to provide maximum screen space without abandoning the critical hardware at the top, such as the Selfie Camera, Receiver Speaker, other Sensor, LED Indicators., etc. Now, you can get a 5.5-inch sized smartphone with a 6.2-inch display on it.

Whether you love it or hate it, here are the different types of display notches- smartphones with notched-display.

iPhone X Notch

Apple’s iPhone X came with a spectacular edge-to-edge display that dominates the entire front of the smartphone. Well, nearly the entire front side of the phone. Unlike the Android flagships such as the Pixel XL 2, Samsung’s Galaxy S8, and LG’s V30, iPhone X didn’t come with a top bezel; instead, it came with a wide display notch which looked odd.

The notch on the iPhone X contains the TrueDepth camera system, which powers the iPhone’s Face ID facial recognition technology. It also incorporates the hardware elements required for Apple’s all-new Animoji feature and an IR sensor.

Before the launch of iPhone X, the display notches (design) sparked a lot of discussions among consumers and industry experts, much of it negative. But over the time, hate for the notch has faded away as many people have become used to Apple’s design choice. Android smartphone manufacturers are now embracing the notch concept on their smartphones.

Medium-sized Notch (Oneplus 6, Asus Zenfone 5Z, Huawei P20 Pro, etc.)

Soon after the unveiling of iPhone X, a large number of Android smartphone makers have joined the bandwagon and released smartphones with the displays that have a notch. The Huawei P20 Pro, OnePlus 6 and Asus Zenfone 5Z too came with a notched display (but a smaller one).

Unlike the iPhone X, Android phones such as the OnePlus 6 came with several new features that allow users to control the notch in whatever way they want. Users can turn it off (notch) in the Display Settings.

By doing so, a regular black bar will appear on the top of the display which is similar to the regular black bar that we used to see on many other Android phones. On that black bar, system time, battery indicator, as well as notifications, will be displayed. If you don’t like the notch, you can make it disappear. This is a unique feature that is not yet available in the Apple’s iPhone X.

Water-Drop Notch (Essential PH-1, Oppo F9 Pro, Vivo V11 Pro)

Essential was the first to launch a smartphone with a “notch” ahead of Apple. Of course, Apple overshadowed Essential just a few weeks later with the iPhone X notch. Oppo coined the name waterdrop notch with the launch of Oppo F9 Pro.

While Essential PH-1 notch (similar to Oppo F9 Pro notch) didn’t get mainstream, a host of Android phones such as Vivo V11 Pro have been launched with a waterdrop notch.

While the ‘regular’ notch mostly contains the speaker, front-facing selfie cameras and other types of sensors such as notification led, IR blasters.

The waterdrop notch – due its shape and size – isn’t that accommodating, it contains only the front-facing camera. Its primary purpose is to offer more screen real estate on the phone’s display. No doubt it is an attractive design element, but the functionality of the waterdrop notch remains a bit foggy.

In other words, the waterdrop notch is a nice differentiator among the crowded notched-display phones, but it is low on functionality.

Final Thoughts

The notch-display design is now a mainstream design element, especially with the launch of budget Realme 2, which claims to be the most affordable phone with a display notch. The Realme 2 comes with a starting price point of Rs 8,990 (125 USD).

The display notch exists on the Apple’s iPhone X because it needs a wide array of sensors on the front for Face ID tech, but on Android, notched-display is just an aesthetic choice. The notch might not be a permanent fixture for Android smartphones.

Android phones such as the Vivo Nex, Oppo Find X have taken the full-screen experience to a whole new level. With a motorized pop-up camera, these phones came with no ugly notches and massive 92-93.5% screen-to-body ratio.

There are several reasons a pop-up camera such as the one in the Vivo Nex might not be ideal (long-term reliability being the main one). But design changes such as the Oppo Find X and Vivo Nex shows that smartphone makers are experimenting with new ideas to get rid of the ugly notch. Essential, which released the first smartphone with a notched-display, also filed a patent for a similar camera design found in Vivo Nex.

Do you like the notched-display, if so, which type of notch you like the most? Tell us in comments

The post We Look At Different Types Of Notches In The Market Today: Pick Your Favorite appeared first on Gizmochina.

There’s a new app in town that’s taking the Chinese users by storm. It even threatens the biggest social app in China, WeChat, by registering millions of downloads within days of its launch. If you have never heard of the Bullet Messenger, here’s why you should!

Bullet Messenger targets WeChat’s spot with its sleek and simple design. One of the unique features that made it an instant hit among Chinese users is its automatic voice-to-text feature.

To understand how the Bullet Messaging rose to fame just days after its launch, we need to understand more about the app.

What Is Bullet Messenger?

Bullet Messenger a.k.a. Zidan Duanxin (in Chinese), is a social messaging app launched on Aug. 20 without much fanfare. But since then, its popularity has surged rapidly on Apple’s China App Store taking aim at the No.1 Chinese social messaging app WeChat. As of this writing, Bullet Messenger is at the top position on China’s iOS App Store raking in 8 million downloads.

Smartisan Technology Co. Ltd., the same company that manufactures Smartisan smartphones has a major stake in this app. Soon after its launch, this app had taken a shot at Tencent’s WeChat which dominates 86% of China’s social messaging app sector. Smartisan has preloaded this app in its recent Smartisan Nut Pro 2S smartphone.

What Made The Bullet Messenger An Instant Hit In China?

A start-up called Beijing Kuairu Technology developed the Bullet Messenger app for Smartisan. According to Kuairu, the primary reasons for the instant popularity of the social messaging app was its human-like interactions, ‘remind me later’ organizer, and most importantly its built-in integrated speech-to-text (automatic transcription). These features have helped the app soar to the top of the free download charts on China’s iOS App Store.

WeChat offers additional features like payment and gaming. Bullet Messenger, on the other hand, provides a simple messaging platform and a newsfeed- allowing users to respond to messages in fewer steps as compared to WeChat.

• Related Post: Now you can officially Sue People Using WeChat In China

Here are the features that made Bullet Messaging an instant hit among Chinese users:

• Bullet messenger is an app solely made for instant messaging, unlike WeChat which provides a lot of other services along with text messages.
• It converts the user’s voice inputs into a text message as they start composing a message, a feature missing in WeChat.
• It also allows a user to pause a voice message, drag and jump to specific areas, saving a lot of time.
• And finally, its UI is fast and simple when compared to that of WeChat’s UI.

Luo, founder, and CEO of Smartisan said on his Weibo account, that the Bullet Messenger is offering a niche alternative to WeChat for users seeking faster communication.

Bullet Messenger’s quick rise to fame once again highlights the ever changing demands of Chinese users. While it’s very early to say whether it really threatens the market leader WeChat, it once again reminds us of the protean nature of this industry.

What do you think of the all-new Bullet Messenger? Can it topple the WeChat in China? Also, would you like to see an English version of the app with instant voice to text chatting feature? Tell us in Comments.

The post Bullet Messenger defies WeChat’s Monopoly in China with its Unique Feature appeared first on Gizmochina.

Xiaomi’s ecological chain company, Xiaoxun Technology which manufactures smartwatches for children, has announced the all-new Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 which is an upgraded version of its Children Smartwatch S1.

Xiaoxun launched the Children Smartwatch S1 in early August of last year. Today, at the beginning of the back to school season, Xiaoxun has launched the upgraded version Children Smartwatch S2. It is launched at an introductory price of 299 Yuan (approximately $44).

Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 Features:

Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 comes with a 1.3-inch dial interface which is protected by a Japan-imported 2.5D curved glass. Xiaoxun has built the S2 watch with the macarons contrast color design strap to attract kids. As for the battery life, it is equipped with a 730mAh ultra-large capacity battery which the company claims to offer 7 days of battery life and 9 hours of conversation.

• Read Also: A List of Our Favorite Xiaomi Smart Products

Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 connectivity options include China Beidou and the GPS positioning system. It comes with a nano-sim type tray, micro USB port, built-in Wi-Fi. There are also options to call friends, family, calculate steps, etc.

Coming to the AI part of the Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2, its smart AI can translate texts, sing songs, recite poetry and even chat. There is also a camera sensor for photo scene assistance which can accurately locate the child’s position. Parents can control this Smartwatch with the help of its camera’s remote control function. They can remotely take photos and view the surrounding environment on their mobile APP.

Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 uses a high-quality mainstream mobile phone antenna (LDS antenna). It offers a stable signal and reduces interference. This Smartwatch is also waterproof for day-to-day use. Coming to its safety features, it provides an option to call one of the guardians from the phonebook or by pressing SOS-button in a case of emergency. It also has an option to create a group chat using WeChat.

Xiaoxun Children Smartwatch S2 watch not only focuses on the child’s safety but it also offers a combination of fitness, games, and fun features.

What’s your thought on Xiaoxun’s latest Children Smartwatch S2? Tell us in comments!

(Source)

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