Why Apple can be late to the 'holepunch' party

Apple's September event closed with a mix feelings, but despite them releasing features that have long existed on android, Apple can be excused because they do something better than anyone.

A FEW WEEKS AGO, Apple released a whole host of products. While it is great to see a new apple watch and airpods, the star of the show was the introduction of their pill shaped cut out called the Dynamic Island. But why go to this, seemingly, half measure solution when the end goal is to have a full screen display, unobstructed by anything? I think it has to do with Apple’s philosophy of not jumping ship to new things until they can perfect what they have. Here is why I think Apple made the right move with the cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Progressive enhancement

Apple, like many tech companies, focuses on progressive enhancement: the idea that by iterating on the existing concept one can get a much better end product rather than jumping directly from one concept to another. It’s no secret that Apple would love to have an all screen display where the camera modules are not obstructing the entire experience. However they understand, better than anyone, that building up to their goals is more important than trying to jump to the end goal.

Photo credit: iPhone in Canada

Reducing compromise on experience

Apple understands that experience is everything. Making sure users get the very best experience they can from their devices.Take a look at Samsung. They released their Fold series which uses a front facing camera that is underneath the display. And while it is definitely innovative, it lacks the clarity and fidelity that comes from a more traditional front facing camera. As such it results in a compromised experience for things such as selfies or even video calls.

Making the best of a situation

As mentioned previously, Apple loves to make sure they can craft the very best experience with what they have. As such, they have really focused on making sure they can maximize the display of the 14 Pro. Now most companies would try to draw attention away from something like a notch. Apple is guilty of it in the past with the iPhone XS, through the use of clever wallpapers in their marketing material. However, with the iPhone 14 Pro they can make the best of a nonideal solution. Of course, I’m talking about the dynamic island. While it seems gimmicky on the surface, by leveraging their OLED display, they can obfuscate the cut out elements and draw attention away from the deficiencies of having a cutout in a display.

Photo credit: The Indian Express

Perfect marriage of hardware and software

Continuing on the point about the dynamic island, it’s not like android has not had an opportunity to show what they can do with a holepunch display design. In fact, Samsung devices have sported the holepunch design for a while, even using it to show a ring indicating battery levels of their devices. However, Apple has shown they understand how they can marry software and hardware together to produce a more full experience for their users. By shuffling through dynamically and contextually relevant information as one uses their device, Apple can sport a more integrated experience thereby making their devices easier to use.

Photo credit: KrispiTech

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I’m sure that Apple over time will move towards removing the cutout from their display. But for now it is here to stay. And Apple will continue to show us that they have a better understanding of how to be late to a party and still make an impact on user experience.