[slave]

The notch and punch holes are the worse things to ever happen to the cellphone.

These two companies hoodwinked everyone into believing this trash was a good thing.

The structural integrity of a phone with no bezel is garbage. One drop with bezels cracks a screen, with non, it destroys your screen. That leads to new phones.

They needed to get the numbers up since sales dipped. They invented a fix to a problem that didn't exist. A ton of people fell for it.

This anti bezel hysteria is way worse than the trash "premium feel" trash people were pushing after the whole "precious jewel" crap that Apple pulled off.

Sheeple are gonna sheep!

[mustang7757]

One drop , is same for bezels and thin bezels , I use Dome glass screen protector and no issues drop couple times with good case, but I understand everyone wants something different that's why some manufacturer offer few different version , flat screen,curved,tall ect.

[anthonium]

I don't mind bezels or no bezels. What I do wish came back was aluminum backed phones. Makes the phones feel tougher to me. Wireless charging is the least important thing to me.

Also the drop really is the same for bezels or no bezels as it's all still glass covered. Now the curved edges... Not a fan.

Still I feel people are justified in saying Pixel phones don't have that wow factor when you look at them. Is HTC even playing a part in these designs anymore?

[Lepa79]

The future is no bezels. It's the way it is. All screen with cameras hidden under them just like finger prints are under right now. It's where the advancement in technology is going. Has nothing to do with breaking and more sale. Put a case on the phone and it won't matter if it had a bezel or not.

Things evolve. It is just how the world turns. Phones not going to have bezels for long. Google is just last in that department.

[mustang7757]

I don't mind bezels or no bezels. What I do wish came back was aluminum backed phones. Makes the phones feel tougher to me. Wireless charging is the least important thing to me.

Also the drop really is the same for bezels or no bezels as it's all still glass covered. Now the curved edges... Not a fan.

Still I feel people are justified in saying Pixel phones don't have that wow factor when you look at them. Is HTC even playing a part in these designs anymore?

Not sure if Htc involved yet on design.

The future is no bezels. It's the way it is. All screen with cameras hidden under them just like finger prints are under right now. It's where the advancement in technology is going. Has nothing to do with breaking and more sale. Put a case on the phone and it won't matter if it had a bezel or not.

Things evolve. It is just how the world turns. Phones not going to have bezels for long. Google is just last in that department.

This is true things will change and won't stay forever .

[tukur yakubu]

Bezels are ok as long as there's something to put there. The worst is when it is very large and useless.

[Tigrisan]

I miss a flat screen on the later Galaxys. Bezel or no, there are apps that fill the screen and trying to touch something under the curve at the outside edge can be frustrating at best. I don't know that a bezel really makes a difference on whether the screen will crack if you drop it. I had my Note 5 in an Otterbox, dropped it from about three feet, and the back glass shattered. Otterbox only guarantees the case of course and not the phone so I now have a Note 9 and that curved edge is something I'm still getting used to. :/

[Golfdriver97]

I agree on the glass is a premium feel thing. that was all hype and marketing.

[WontonSoup]

As long as they aren't Pixel 2 big I don't mind bezels. The bezels on my Pixel 3 don't bother me at all. I don't like the notch of the iPhone XS at all. I don't mind the hole punch on the S10e as well.

[joeldf]

Totally agree with the OP. My complaint as well, and I have an S9. Will be my last phone with curved edges.

With all this industry-wide run to all screen fronts and glass backs, I haven't seen a phone in the wild in a very long time that isn't in a case now.

So all these "premium feel" phones are covered up in, what?

Plastic and rubber. Also, adding edges and lips around the screen.

Kinda kills the idea of the "infinity edge", doesn't it

[NOLATechy]

Personally, I'm looking forward to the Pixel 4 and the forehead. Finally a screen with no notch, no hole punch, NOTHING that will interfere with my videos and it doesn't appear the forehead will really be all that big. I think Google is finally listening to us consumers and giving us what we want, unlike Samsung and Apple who keep trying to tell us what we want.

[Steven Benedict1]

you kind of get bezels anyway because most video plays with borders. The no bezel format doesn't bother me but that isnt why I bought my phone (S10+). It was because of the quality of the screen, not the no bezel format if that makes any sense.

[pkcable]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I love the bezel-less look, and also I like a screen with a slight curve. I think the screen on my OP7 is just about perfect!

[joeldf]

you kind of get bezels anyway because most video plays with borders. The no bezel format doesn't bother me but that isnt why I bought my phone (S10+). It was because of the quality of the screen, not the no bezel format if that makes any sense.

Videos aren't a concern of mine. My concern is in the actual use of the phone, and how it's handled. Without a case to grip something, you can barely hold these darned things without touching something on the edge activating something even putting the darned things down. As a designer, I'm afraid that, with these devices, form no longer follows function.

[ChuckG73]

I like how to Pixel 4 look, with the top bezel.

[elshagon]

For me this is how I order my preference for the front of a phone from most preferred to least preferred:

1. No bezel, notch or cutout. Camera hidden under the screen. This will be the future once it becomes cheap enough to do.
2. Small bezel. I prefer a small bezel vs. an ugly notch or cutout. I don't understand the news media reporting small bezels as being ugly or outdated vs the current alternative.
3. Notch or cutouts. Why is this being pushed as better looking? Is it because Apple uses it so it must be a good thing? I think it looks terrible. Might as well complete the notch to the sides and call it a bezel.

[Larzuk]

I don't mind the bezel they are planning as it seems it's going to be getting some pretty impressive tech to fill that real estate. What will disappoint me is if the rumors going around play out true that the 4XL will indeed be smaller than the 3XL. A majority of people these days are a fan of larger screen phones, Myself included. Hell I was one of the ones jumping for joy when the rumors were rampant that the 3XL was going to be 6.7". But yes, Going smaller would turn me off, Though not likely to prevent the purchase. Pixel phones are almost a guaranteed purchase for me every year.

Still waiting on that exclusive Pixel Watch, Lol!

[Mike Dee]

I don't mind the bezel they are planning as it seems it's going to be getting some pretty impressive tech to fill that real estate. What will disappoint me is if the rumors going around play out true that the 4XL will indeed be smaller than the 3XL. A majority of people these days are a fan of larger screen phones, Myself included. Hell I was one of the ones jumping for joy when the rumors were rampant that the 3XL was going to be 6.7". But yes, Going smaller would turn me off, Though not likely to prevent the purchase. Pixel phones are almost a guaranteed purchase for me every year.

Still waiting on that exclusive Pixel Watch, Lol!

That would depend on how much smaller. If it's just losing the ears around the notch I wouldn't mind.

[gendo667]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I love the bezel-less look, and also I like a screen with a slight curve. I think the screen on my OP7 is just about perfect!

Same. Rocking the S10 here.

[Golurk]

I feel that consumers are largely to blame as well for these new designs. By clamouring for an ‘all screen design’ and criticising companies that have similar designs for only a couple of years (Samsung S8 and S9) consumers forced companies to come up with new and flashy designs/features in order for them to keep up their revenue...it’s business, let’s be real.

Personally I like the curved screen, slim bezels, hole-punch and teardrop...but the Apple notch and wireless charging don’t appeal to me. I can’t defend Apple as much as Samsung because they had the same thick bezels from the OG iPhone all the way to the 8.

But anyway, before we start blaming Samsung and other companies for simply reacting to our constant complaints about their perfectly good designs (S8/9, OnePlus 5T, Huawei Mate 10 Pro etc), we should step back and think how much consumers/we urged them to come up with something new and flashy.

[Subhasish 1]

This is the mother of all scams. I hate Apple even more because despite me not being a Apple user, they destroyed smartphone for me. I feel pity for the homo sapiens sheep who followed the herd that 'bezels are bad' and sacrificed convenience, safety of scree, front camera flash, IR blasters, front stereo speakers, nice comfortable menu buttons on bezels...everything to toe the line of bully corporates. In return they got an ugly screen with a notch as if the led in a portion of the screen is destroyed. If there was ever any doubt about collective stupidity of humans, this should have put it to rest.
I just hope that someday , some maverick phone company(Xiaomi , can you please step up?); boldly advertises a phone with bold bezels with best in class front camera with flash, proximity sensors, front speakers, bold menu buttons on bezel freeing the skin. Until then I'm trying very hard postponing my next phone buy, just replacing the battery every one and a half years of my old phone. It's really hard..please some company step up.

[Subhasish 1]

I think consumers followed the lead of the 'phone critics' , who are i8n turn paid by the corporates to create a hype for their next feature even in expense of trashing a perfectly good thing.

[anon(10274434)]

I'm too busy enjoying my phones to waste time complaining about bezels. If you don't like the bezels - don't buy the phone - I think Bezel and Baby start with the same letter for a reason.

[lcs101]

I think consumers followed the lead of the 'phone critics' , who are i8n turn paid by the corporates to create a hype for their next feature even in expense of trashing a perfectly good thing.

Just another person on a forum who thinks he or she knows what others are thinking. What's new...

[jamezr]

Thank you OP for this very informative thread and thread title. Could not have survived the day with reading it..... my life is now complete.