Why OnePlus is wrong in asking fans to 'love the notch'
Even months after making its first appearance at the Steve Jobs theatre in California, United States, the now iconic iPhone X notch remains a highly divisive design decision. For many, the notch is a blot on the iPhone's pretty face, a design decision that drags this futuristic phone straight back into the past.
But despite such grave criticism, it is that one feature which has been unabashedly lifted by Android OEMs on their smartphones.
The latest smartphone maker to join the bandwagon is OnePlus, which has already confirmed that its upcoming flagship, the OnePlus 6, will feature an iPhone X-like notch on its display.
'Learn to love the notch'
The company's co-founder Carl Pei, in an interview with The Verge, had explained the reasons behind including a notched display with the OnePlus 6. In a tweet, that has since been deleted, he even asked fans to "learn to love the notch". The tweet was met with extreme criticism.
OnePlus fans outraged on social media, with many calling the company out for its arrogance.
Learn to love the notch? Your company is a small fry in the smart phone industry @getpeid. You should try listening to your audience.
— #marinaout (@demar_inuh) March 29, 2018
"In conclusion, learn to love the notch." Uhhh how about learn better smartphone design? Learn innovation? Stop lagging behind Apple's garbage tactics? Alright I'm done.
— Danny Phantom (@mist3r_salty) March 28, 2018
What followed was a PR disaster. With the interview backfiring, the company's CEO Pete Lau has now taken it upon himself to explain to OnePlus fans why the notch is a well-intentioned decision. In a post – "Let's talk about the screen"– uploaded on OnePlus' official forum, Lau gives more clarity on why exactly the next flagship is going down the path of the iPhone X.
"One of our biggest challenges as a smartphone manufacturer is to make the most out of every square inch of your device... Our role as a smartphone manufacturer is to maximize the use of the space we free up. Since our components no longer require the entire width of a top bezel, we focused our efforts on maximizing the amount of screen real estate. It’s easy to get caught up in a debate on aesthetics, but to us this decision was simply about pursuing optimal phone design. Being able to offer more screen without compromising on size or performance is a great benefit. That said, we wanted to offer the biggest display possible without compromising on hardware, which is why we opted for the notch design."
Speaking along the same lines as Pei, Lau explained why this new notch-ridden display makes for a practical choice:
"Finally, as our devices gain in worldwide popularity, we need to scale up production accordingly. That means using a display that is readily procurable is the only way we can keep up with global demand. This translates to fewer delays, faster shipping, and the ability to service more people."
The flaw in the argument
Despite his insistence, the argument being made by Carl Pei, and his partner in crime Pete Lau, is essentially one that only goes on to expose everything that is wrong with OnePlus' current market strategy. The decision stands out as a lazy choice, one that is fuelled by the company's efforts to maximise revenues by bringing to customers a new flagship every six months.
The argument that the particular display is readily available and has been chosen by OnePlus to improve the availability of the phone is also flimsy as it only makes the OnePlus 6 sound like a cheap Chinese knock-off of the iPhone X.
For a device that is expected to retail upwards of Rs 40,000 to be relegated to such a position could be a disastrous marketing strategy.
The smartphone industry is based on innovation, and innovation is what should drive a company like OnePlus forward, not blatant plagiarism of ideas – such poor ones at that. It will be better for the company to heed the advice of its fans and course-correct before it is too late.