Great Secret Features’ and ‘Nasty Surprises’ are my regular columns investigating the best features / biggest problems hidden behind the headlines.
Yes, the much praised ‘bezel-less’ design of the iPhone X (middle) and the massive 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus (right) will not carry over to the cheaper design (left).
Instead, the model (which I suspect will simply be called ‘iPhone’ like the entry level ‘iPad’), has uniformly thick bezels. This looks particularly odd on the sides of the device and makes it look like it’s in a case. In fact, putting a case on this model is going to make it look even worse.
Why would Apple produce such a chunky version of its already iconic design? It all comes down to the use of a cost-saving LCD panel.
By contrast, LCD panels can’t withstand such extreme bending so the connector has to be kept at the bottom edge creating the chin. Apple, in wanting to retain the same consistent bezel design as the more expensive models, has therefore opted to put a thick bezel on all four sides of the phone creating something which looks more like a toy version of the other models.
If there’s a positive to this move, I suspect these thick bezels will make the budget iPhone X resistant to drops. So maybe you won’t need a case after all.
Furthermore, it’s impossible to ignore the biggest news about the budget iPhone: its jaw-dropping price. And I suspect the prospect of saving up to $400 versus the iPhone X Plus, means many will stomach the bigger bezels even if they do make the cheaper model easily identifiable…