iPhoneX CopyCats

iPhoneX CopyCats in this year

looked slightly sheepish as he pulled down the massive red curtain to reveal a new phone, and not just because it got stuck on a hook. And who could blame him? Behind the curtain was a picture of Tottenham’s star lineup, including current Premier League top goalscorer Harry Kane with a pained expression on his face and an uncannily familiar phone in his hand.

Above Kane's head read the slogan: “Android Oreo Notch Display”.

That’s right: the notch is now a selling point. Kane’s supposed phone, the Leagoo S9 Pro, is just one of a tide of iPhone X clones that have swept through Mobile World Congress this week, often from little-known Chinese manufacturers competing to get products out as fast as possible. Oukitel. Doogee. Blackview. UleFone. OtOt. Ila. The list goes on — and it’s starting to include names more familiar to Western audiences. Asus’ new Zenfone 5 takes obvious notch inspiration from Apple’s latest phone, while leaks suggest that Huawei’s next flagship will follow a similar path.

Harry Kane allegedly holding a Leagoo S9 

looked slightly sheepish as he pulled down the massive red curtain to reveal a new phone, and not just because it got stuck on a hook. And who could blame him? Behind the curtain was a picture of Tottenham’s star lineup, including current Premier League top goalscorer Harry Kane with a pained expression on his face and an uncannily familiar phone in his hand.

Above Kane's head read the slogan: “Android Oreo Notch Display”.

That’s right: the notch is now a selling point. Kane’s supposed phone, the Leagoo S9 Pro, is just one of a tide of iPhone X clones that have swept through Mobile World Congress this week, often from little-known Chinese manufacturers competing to get products out as fast as possible. Oukitel. Doogee. Blackview. UleFone. OtOt. Ila. The list goes on — and it’s starting to include names more familiar to Western audiences. Asus’ new Zenfone 5 takes obvious notch inspiration from Apple’s latest phone, while leaks suggest that Huawei’s next flagship will follow a similar path.

Harry Kane allegedly holding a Leagoo S9 Pro.

 Photo by Sam Byford / STYLZIST

The iPhone X’s notch was met with widespread confusion and derision when the phone was unveiled in September. So why are Android phone makers leaning into it?

Well, it’s quite simple. “Some people will say it’s copying Apple,” Asus’ global head of marketing Marcel Campos told The Verge, “but we cannot get away from what users want. You have to follow the trends.” In other words, notched displays have officially transcended oddity to become just another screen shape.

Campos’ comments may sound crude, but they’re actually refreshing in their honesty. Because the simple truth is that these notches don’t need to exist. They’re a stylistic choice, and the latest example of Apple design decisions being co-opted by much of the tech industry at large.

Oukitel U18.

 Photo by Sam Byford / STYLZIST

Say what you like about the iPhone X’s notch: if nothing else, it’s an honest design. It’s obvious why it exists. Apple set out to make a phone as dominated by the screen as possible, which meant removing the bezels, which meant removing the fingerprint sensor, which meant adding a 3D-sensing camera for Face ID. Which meant taking a considerable bite out of the screen. And Apple didn't try to hide the resulting notch — on the contrary, it advised developers not to disguise it in softwares

vladsavov) February 27, 2018

We’ve been here before. Recall the last time Apple introduced a major new iPhone design, with the 6 and 6 Plus in 2014. It was surprisingly unlovely, even at the time — we noted that it was the first iPhone that looked better in a case. But if you’ve been to China in the last three years, it’s impossible to deny that design’s influence. The rounded corners paired with the mostly flat back. The plastic antenna lines. The jewel-like camera bump. Apple didn’t invent any of these elements, but it’s certainly responsible for the combination that companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, Meizu, and Oppo lifted wholesale. Apple was also responsible for teaching the world what a “chamfered edge” was with the iPhone 5, precipitating a wave of gadgets with similarly shiny extremities.

That’s what’s going to continue to happen with the iPhone X notch. And really, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. One product manager at a Chinese OEM told me that he likes the notch design as a way to maximize screen-to-body ratio, but wouldn’t have been able to push it before the iPhone X made it possible for customers to “accept” such a product. And if reports are to be believed, Google is preparing the next version of Android to have formal support for notches, anticipating the flood of Apple-inspired devices.

Not everyone will follow, of course. Samsung, for example, has enough marketing clout of its own that copying Apple would do more harm than good at this point. This week’s Galaxy S9 launch event saw the company hail the new phone’s “uninterrupted display,” with a marketing executive cracking “as always, you know, there’s no notch.” (No one laughed.)

UleFone T2 Pro.

 Photo by Sam Byford / The Verge

I’m not passing judgment either way on these notched phones. Times change, trends come and go, and this is just another example. There are some truly egregious rip-offs, sure, but some of the new phones actually look somewhat interesting. The UleFone T2 Pro, for instance, has a striking chrome and white design around its giant 6.7-inch 19:9 screen, which includes an in-display fingerprint sensor. It wouldn’t exist without the iPhone X, no, but that doesn’t render it meritless. (Even if its screen's rounded corners do cut into the clock right now.)

Apple has a habit of dominating trade shows without attending, and Mobile World Congress 2018 has been no exception. This week it’s been impossible to escape the notch, with so many companies following Apple’s suggestion that developers and users embrace it. Only one question remains: will you?Pro.

 Photo by Sam by STYLZIST

The iPhone X’s notch was met with widespread confusion and dew

rision when the phone was unveiled in September. So why are Android phone makers leaning into it?Well, it’s quite simple. “Some people will say it’s copying Apple,” Asus’ global head of marketing Marcel Campos told The Verge, “but we cannot get away from what users want. You have to follow the trends.” In other words, notched displays have officially transcended oddity to become just another screen shape.

Campos’ comments may sound crude, but they’re actually refreshing in their honesty. Because the simple truth is that these notches don’t need to exist. They’re a stylistic choice, and the latest example of Apple design decisions being co-opted by much of the tech industry at large.

.

 Photo by Abhishek STYLZIST

Say what you like about the iPhone X’s notch: if nothing else, it’s an honest design. It’s obvious why it exists. Apple set out to make a phone as dominated by the screen as possible, which meant removing the bezels, which meant removing the fingerprint sensor, which meant adding a 3D-sensing camera for Face ID. Which meant taking a considerable bite out of the screen. And Apple didn't try to hide the resulting notch — on the contrary, it advised developers not to disguise it in software.

These Android phones, on the other hand, are often making the notch much bigger than it needs to be. They don’t contain advanced face-scanning tech — usually just a selfie camera, a speaker, and an ambient light sensor. The decision to go with prominent notches is one that simply would not have been taken were it not for the iPhoneX.

We’ve been here before. Recall the last time Apple introduced a major new iPhone design, with the 6 and 6 Plus in 2014. It was surprisingly unlovely, even at the time — we noted that it was the first iPhone that looked better in a case. But if you’ve been to China in the last three years, it’s impossible to deny that design’s influence. The rounded corners paired with the mostly flat back. The plastic antenna lines. The jewel-like camera bump. Apple didn’t invent any of these elements, but it’s certainly responsible for the combination that companies like Vivo, Xiaomi, Meizu, and Oppo lifted wholesale. Apple was also responsible for teaching the world what a “chamfered edge” was with the iPhone 5, precipitating a wave of gadgets with similarly shiny extremities.

That’s what’s going to continue to happen with the iPhone X notch. And really, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. One product manager at a Chinese OEM told me that he likes the notch design as a way to maximize screen-to-body ratio, but wouldn’t have been able to push it before the iPhone X made it possible for customers to “accept” such a product. And if reports are to be believed, Google is preparing the next version of Android to have formal support for notches, anticipating the flood of Apple-inspired devices.

Not everyone will follow, of course. Samsung, for example, has enough marketing clout of its own that copying Apple would do more harm than good at this point. This week’s Galaxy S9 launch event saw the company hail the new phone’s “uninterrupted display,” with a marketing executive cracking “as always, you know, there’s no notch.” (No one laughed.)

I’m not passing judgment either way on these notched phones. Times change, trends come and go, and this is just another example. There are some truly egregious rip-offs, sure, but some of the new phones actually look somewhat interesting. The UleFone T2 Pro, for instance, has a striking chrome and white design around its giant 6.7-inch 19:9 screen, which includes an in-display fingerprint sensor. It wouldn’t exist without the iPhone X, no, but that doesn’t render it meritless. (Even if its screen's rounded corners do cut into the clock right now.

Apple has a habit of dominating trade shows without attending, and Mobile World Congress 2018 has been no exception. This week it’s been impossible to escape the notch, with so many companies following Apple’s suggestion that developers and users embrace it. Only one question remains: will you?

The Notch comes to Android

 the handset for the iPhone X, although the former includes an LCD instead of OLED (or AMOLED in the case of the Galaxy S9).

The ZenFone 5Z is the first Android smartphone released by a major OEM to come with the Notch design language, inspired by the stunning Apple flagship.

Thanks to the ultra-slim bezels, the 6.2-inch ASUS ZenFone 5Z is the same physical size as the ZenFone 4 with its 5.5-inch screen. The device is covered in curved 2.5D from the back to front and boasts an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio.

We’re not saying the design of the Galaxy S9 is not gorgeous as well, but it’s already yesterday’s news. The Galaxy S9 looks almost exactly the same as its predecessor, so if you want some novelty in your life, you might be inclined to favor the ZenFone 5Z. Unless you already own an iPhone X.

Unmatched price

Price is usually a major factor when it comes to deciding which phone to buy and ASUS knows that all too well.

The company announced the new ZenFone 5Z will go on sale for $499 and up, depending on which RAM+storage variant you’ll be getting. This is a very competitive price for a device shipping with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 platform.

Still, think that’s too expensive? ASUS will also offer a ZenFone 5 variant which basically looks the same as the ZenFone 5Z but comes with a less-powerful processor. We don’t know the pricing for this one just yet, but it’s probably going to be sold for around $400.

In contrast, the Galaxy S9 starts at $719.99 unlocked, while its larger brother will be available for $839.99. The difference is quite steep.

Promising camera

The Galaxy S9’s main new feature is the re-imagined camera which now offers variable aperture. This feat allows phone users to shoot better pictures in different lighting scenarios. There a single 12-megapixel sensor adoring the back of the Galaxy S9, while the Galaxy S9+ has a dual-camera treatment which adds of a secondary 12-megapixel telephoto lens.

But the ASUS ZenFone 5Z is all about taking pictures too. The main highlight in the camera department is the 1.4-micron pixel size of the main 12-megapixel image sensor. This is equal to HTC ‘s U11, a phone known for its camera prowess, so we expect the ZenFone 5Z to be able to produce stunning results.

Next to the main sensor sits an 8-megapixel 120-degree wide-angle camera for depth detection in Portrait Mode. ASUS says the dual-camera has optical image stabilization (OIS), electronic image stabilization (EIS), and it can record 4K video.

On the front there’s an 8-megapixel selfie snapper with f/2.0 aperture, while the Galaxy S9 employs a similar unit, but with f/1.7.

More RAM and storage

The base version of the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be offered with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage (or 128GB/256GB in select markets). The Galaxy S9+, on the other hand, includes 6GB of RAM and the same storage variants.

Well ASUS trumps Samsung’s proposal by offering a ZenFone 5Z version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, alongside two other 4GB of RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB of RAM + 128GB storage models.

Remember pricing starts at $499, so the top model is bound to be more expensive.

Bigger battery (compared to the Galaxy S9)

The ZenFone 5 relies on a 3,300 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S9 only includes a 3,000 mAh one. Both include a Snapdragon 845 processor and run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, so at least in theory the ZenFone 5 should be able to offer a superior battery life.

The Galaxy S9+, on the other hand, has a larger 3,500 mAh juice box. The ZenFone 5 sits just in between the two Galaxy S9 models when it comes to battery capacity.

Smart features everywhere

AI is the world on everyone’s lips these days, so ASUS has clearly tried to leverage this trend with a host of smart features which are marketed as being AI-powered.

For example, there’s AI display which is a tool that automatically adjusts color temperature, much like Apple’s True Tone on the iPhone X. There’s also a sensor that keeps the screen from turning off while the user is looking at it.

Another smart feature is AI charging which aims to maximize the battery’s lifespan by dynamically adjusting the charging rate. What this feature actually does is prevent the phone from charging to 100% overnight which apparently helps expand longevity.

ASUS says it’s adopting a broad definition of AI, so although these features are quite handy, the term could have been easily avoided.

Wrap-up

Unfortunately for those who have instantly taken a liking to the phone, the ASUS ZenFone 5Z won’t be readily available. Unlike the Galaxy S9 which will go up for pre-order in the upcoming days, customers will have to wait until June (!!!) to be able to get the ZenFone 5Z. Hopefully, people won’t forget about this great phone until then.

Those targeting the ZenFone 5 are in better luck, as the phone is expected to hit retail shelves sometime in April.