OnePlus 6 to have a screen notch, but smaller than Apple iPhone X: Carl Pei

In an interview, Pei made references to iPhone X, its notch-based screen and what OnePlus has learnt from Apple's notch-based screen set-up to enhance the user experience in its upcoming OnePlus 6

Some important insights on the still unofficial OnePlus 6 that had been doing the rounds of the internet for a while have now been made official by the company’s CEO and co-founder Carl Pei. In an interview with technology portal The Verge, Pei confirmed that the upcoming smartphone would embrace the notch screen, but with more thought and care than the other Android-based manufacturers that have adopted it.

Throughout the interview, Pei made references to iPhone X, its notch-based screen and how OnePlus took lessons from Apple’s notch-based screen set-up to enhance the user experience in its upcoming OnePlus 6.

Pei also made a reference to Essential PH1, which is among the first smartphones to sport a tiny circular display notch in the Android space. However, Pei believes that incorporating such a small notch could not be done without making some modifications to the device’s earpiece, selfie camera, sensors and notification lights, which might compromise the overall quality of the device. 

On the other hand, Pei also stated that the notch size in the iPhone X was bigger due to its Face ID module; the notch in the OnePlus 6 would be smaller than iPhone X but bigger than the one found in Essential PH1. Pei also provided the precise measurements for the notch in OnePlus upcoming device; it will be 19.616mm x 7.687mm.

Talking about software enhancements, Pei said the company was working on enhancing the user experience by employing gesture-based navigation – again, something similar to iPhone X – to allow the phone to do away with Android navigation keys while allowing enhanced user experience based on gestures.

According to Pei, the company had to manually test the top 1,000 Play Store apps to understand how to make them compatible with the notch. To accommodate the notch, the company is shifting its clock to the left side of the screen, releasing more room for status icons.

While Pei did not give away anything on the specifications, he did mention that the OnePlus’ upcoming device would sport a bigger display with a notch that would maintain the screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent. The company also shared an image of OnePlus 6, which reveals nothing but the notch.

Recently, one insider Evan Blass also shared the purported image of the upcoming OnePlus smartphone revealing the back and bottom side of the smartphone. Based on the said image, the upcoming smartphone is expected to retain the 3.5mm audio jack, USB type-C port and speaker at the bottom.

OnePlus 6 Photo: Evan Blass

It also showsa wooden back, instead of an aluminium one used in the predecessor, and a design in line with what we have seen in the first leaked image by slash leaks. The picture also shows new rear camera placements with an LED flash and fingerprint scanner below it. The fingerprint scanner also looks more squared than the circular one found in the OnePlus 5T.