Apple's master, if the cut-out screen interaction on Android phones is an ornament, then the iPhone 14 Pro's smart island is a combination of soft and hard innovation.
Oct 03, 2022| Apple's master, if the cut-out screen interaction on Android phones is an ornament, then the iPhone 14 Pro's smart island is a combination of soft and hard innovation.
Instead of hiding the holes, Apple amplifies them, animates them, and gives them functionality. Over time, users will begin to perceive screen holes not as "pitch-black" holes, but as part of the phone's features.
In the size of a small pill, the apple is tucked into a changeable piece. It can not only display the current application status, but also carry interactive functions.
It is also an indicator of the status of the service, showing things like taxi wait times. For now, the feature is only available for Lyft, but in the future, it may also be able to show the progress of deliveries and takeout, as the interface opens up.
As in its English name "dynamic", it is "dynamic", not just "movement", "motion" or "animation". It is built entirely around the iPhone hardware, and software functions complement each other, is a soft and hard integration.
This is the most difficult Android phones to achieve, most of the time only half, such as borrowing the appearance of the design, display, interactive animation. It's like back in the day, Android makers went gaga for the iPhone's bangs, but without the sophisticated Face ID component, it was just a camera or two "bangs for bangs' sake."
Some vendors do the other half, which is feature integration. Vivo OriginOS's atomic notice, and the Google Pixel phone's "at a glance," are typical, and were released before the iPhone 14 Pro. However, they are presented in status bars and widgets instead of holes.
Not to mention, to deliver full functionality, you need to call on third-party apps to adapt, or do it yourself. Few vendors other than Apple have that kind of control over the software ecosystem.
Of course, Android makers don't have to follow Apple's lead. The Xiaomi MIX 4 and ZTE Axon 40 Ultra have been the first to use the upper and lower cameras to explore a truly full-on display with all the front of the screen.
In Apple's habit of exploiting design, the iPhone will continue with the Island design for years to come. The full-screen iPhone will have to wait.
After the iPhone 14 Pro, will Android manufacturers re-examine their holes and think about the space for interaction? And for how long?
