The Android P public beta may have leaked the fact that the Google Pixel 3 will have a notch, a feature that was popularized by rival Apple's iPhone X.
Google reportedly overhauled Android P so that the upcoming version of the mobile operating system will support the notch. It does make sense that the Pixel 3 will take advantage of these changes, but will Google really do it?
Google Pixel 3 Notch Supposedly Leaks
As fans wait for Google Pixel 3 leaks and rumors, one of the most intriguing questions revolves around the smartphone's design. Will the Pixel 3 have a notch?
The Android P public beta apparently points to the likelihood that the Pixel 3 will indeed have a notch. As Android Police pointed out, Android P only shows four notification icons in the status bar at the top of the screen. Notifications beyond the fourth one will be represented by dots, and users can only see what they are by opening the notification shade. In Android Oreo, smartphones will show up to about seven notifications.
The way notifications are shown on the Android P public beta is said to hint that the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL will have notches. This is because with the clock and notifications taking up the left side of the status bar and the status icons such as the ones for battery and Wi-Fi occupying the right side, there is space for a notch in the display.
The space left behind by the limit of four notifications on the Android P public beta does not fit existing Android phones with notch features. According to Forbes' Gordon Kelly, this is Google testing the Pixel 3 design with Android P, and not just tweaking the mobile operating system to work well with all Android smartphones with the notch.
Google Pixel 3 Notch Not Yet Confirmed
However, without official confirmation from Google, or at least renders from trusted sources, there remain doubts that the Pixel 3 will really have a notch.
Adam Ismail of Tom's Guide is one of the people who are not yet convinced that the Pixel 3 notch is happening. While the display feature on the Pixel 3 is not a bad guess on why notifications have been limited to four, Ismail said that the reorganization, including the move to shift the clock to the left side of the status bar, may have been done for the sake of balance. Google may simply want a cleaner look of the same space being taken up from either side of the status bar.
Google needs to make sure that Android P will run properly on smartphones, whether they have the notch or not. This does not mean that the Pixel 3 notch is confirmed, though. It remains a possibility, but further evidence or an official announcement may be required before all skepticism fades away.
