The notch, popularized by Apple's iPhone X, is slowly but surely finding its way to an increasing number of smartphones, even though it has no reason for being on Android phones like the Asus ZenFone 5. It's slimmer than Apple's though!
The notch will also reportedly be available on the LG G7 — if you want.
LG's G7 will ship with a notch at the top of its screen that will house the front-facing camera and earpiece. And by default, it'll show with parts of the screen on either side visible. But a simple software tweak that LG will bundle with the G7 will allow you to remove it, according to a new report from TechRadar.
LG has bundled a software feature in the G7 that will allow you to turn on a software-based bezel. With the feature, a black strip will extend across the top of the screen and effectively hide the notch. When it's turned on, the screen will look like there's a thick black bezel at the top instead of a thin bezel and notch. The images above, which were also discovered by TechRadar, suggest how it might work.
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Apple last year unveiled the iPhone X with a notch at the top that housed the front-facing camera and earpiece. The feature was roundly criticized by those who said it caused an unsightly blemish on the screen. And yet, several Android handset makers at Mobile World Congress last month revealed their own line of smartphones with notches. Like it or not, it appears the feature is here to stay — at least through 2018.
LG's decision to bundle a software feature to hide the notch is rather interesting. In one breath, it's saying that it needs to offer a notch as a design feature and in another, the company seems to be acknowledging that people don't like it. And if those people want to turn it off, they can.
For its part, LG hasn't commented on the G7. The company revealed earlier this year that LG executives shelved a G7 that was supposed to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress for fear that it wouldn't be able to keep pace. Since then, the company has been working on a new model. As of this writing, that device is expected to ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. It could also hit store shelves in May. A price, however, hasn't been divulged.
