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This Android app lets you ’embrace the notch’ from the iPhone X on your phone

While Andy Rubin’s startup Essential took a lot of heat for its front-facing camera cutout, Apple is seeing quite a lot of backlash surrounding the much larger cutout on the iPhone X. Now, thanks to the work of a developer, Android users can “embrace the notch.”

The “notch” on the iPhone X houses the sensors used for Apple’s “Face ID” facial recognition system. While personally, I would have loved to see Apple take Samsung’s approach to bezels and hide these sensors in a thicker top bezel, they didn’t, so we’re left with a pretty strange looking dip in the display that gives the phone weird “ears.”

Obviously, cutouts are nothing new, as we saw with the Essential Phone. However, Essential took the necessary steps to “hide” that cutout in the software. Meanwhile, Apple is encouraging developers to “embrace the notch.” How will that look in day-to-day use? We don’t know just yet, but Android users can get a taste of what it will look like on their devices.

Github user idoideas put together a simple app for Android devices which simulates the “notch” on anything running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above. Once installed and enabled, a virtual version of the “notch” appears at the top center of the display, complete with camera sensors and all. Currently, the app is only available as an APK, so take proper precautions before installing it.

Update: Xoutof10 is now available on Google Play.

Obligatory Wonder Woman shot


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