For me, the iPhone X is gorgeous and hideous at the same time. I understand the necessity of the TrueDepth camera, as Face ID represents the future of user authentication. At the same time, I do not appreciate the notch or the way it’s implemented in iOS. Unlike previous iPhone design elements that would annoy users like the camera bump or the antenna lines, the notch is something you’ll always notice, even if you end up getting used to it.
Well guess what: Jony Ive, the man who’s probably ultimately responsible for the notch, said in an interview that the iPhone X design is only the beginning.
Talking to Japanese-language site CasaBrutus Ive acknowledged that there was some pressure to complete the new design by the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, but claimed it was more of a “wonderful coincidence” to have the redesign ready. Ive teased that Apple has “many more big ideas” and it’s already working on them. The iPhone X represents a “new chapter and the beginning of its development,” rather the end of an era for the iPhone.
Ive further explained that ever since he started working on the iPhone, he wanted to create a device that looks like the iPhone X when it comes to design simplicity and the way components merge.
“Before [the iPhone X] there was a feeling that individual components called enclosure (housing) and display existed,” Ive said. “What we always wanted to do is tackle the essence of integrating what we considered different parts. Looking at ‘iPhone X’ from that perspective, I think that it took many years and finally we were able to achieve it.”
As for Face ID, it’s a required component right now, as Apple envisions a future where the user won’t need to physically touch a device — like placing a finger on a Touch ID sensor — in order to interact with it. Instead, features like Face ID should make it easier to use smart devices.
Now, let’s hope Apple will soon find a way to bury all the cameras and sensors in the iPhone X’s notch under the display.
