Display trends are swiftly changing every year and before we get a truly bezel-less phone, we will have to endure all kinds of crazy. But crazy can be a refreshing change of pace. (हिंदी में पढ़िए)
In the pursuit of larger screens, manufacturers resorted to different aspect ratios and raged a war on bezels. Consequently, they were forced to come up with novel ways to house the front camera (including pop-up modules and sliders). But we guess a punch hole screen for in-display camera is what everyone has agreed upon for 2020.
What’s a punch-hole display?
The term in-display is a bit misleading. There is still time before we plant cameras behind the screen the same way as we do for in-display fingerprint readers, but for now, the in-display cameras are more of a free-floating notch or hole that’s supposed to be less intrusive than a regular notch that drips from the top bezel.
This leaves most of the status bar free to be populated with relatively more system and app icons. A few OEMs also add a few gestures to get more of the in-display camera. For instance, you can swipe down in the region to direct fire the camera app on the Galaxy A8s.
Two kinds of punch-hole cameras are currently in trend – circular ones that are centrally aligned and the long elongated cutouts that house dual front cameras and are consequently referred to as dual punch hole notches.
Also Read: 10 Best phones with pop up cameras and sliders in 2020
Phones with a Hole Punch Camera to buy in 2020
So, here are the phones that are sure to include Punch hole cameras at the front.
1. Samsung Galaxy S20-series
All Samsung phones launched this year have a punch-hole notch or Infinity-O display as Samsung puts it. Samsung’s first set of flagships the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra have gorgeous 120Hz dynamic AMOLED screens, each with a centrally aligned punch hole for the selfie camera.
In India, these phones are powered by Exynos 990, and boast of a host of impressive features including improved cameras, LPDDR5 RAM, 25W fast charging, and Android 10-based One UI 2.0 software.
- Samsung Galaxy S20 price and specifications
- Samsung Galaxy S20+ price and specifications
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra price and specifications
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and Note 10
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is totally unapologetic about its circular notch placed smack in the middle of the status bar. The size is the primary differentiator between the regular Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, but Plus variant gets a few extras including SD card slot and faster 45 charging.
Both of the Samsung Note 10 Phones include triple rear cameras, powerful 7nm Exynos 9825 chipset, S Pen with a gyro sensor and gesture support, and both are missing an audio jack.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ price and full specifications
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10 price and full specifications
3. Samsung Galaxy S10-series
The three phones in the Samsung Galaxy S10-series – Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, & Galaxy S10e – have been the biggest proponent of punch holes this year.
One primary reason for these phones topping this chart is that Samsung delivers the neatest punch hole on these AMOLED screens. There is no shadow or dull pixel lining the cutout which isn’t something we can say for other IPS LCD punch hole displays.
The Galaxy S10 trio covers a wide expanse in the premium segment. Being the epitome of Samsungs craftsmanship, all the three phones deliver excellent hardware in different form factors – and they still retain the audio jack.
- Samsung Galaxy S10+ specifications and price
- Samsung Galaxy S10 specifications and price
- Samsung Galaxy S10e specifications and price
Other Samsung Phones with punch-hole notch:
4. Poco X2
Poco X2 (review) outfits a dual punch hole camera on the front and retails for a bargain price. It has an IPS LCD display which measures 6.67 inches and gives 84.8% screen to body ratio. The resolution is FHD+ with about 395 PPI density. It supports a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 out of the box. You get protection by Gorilla Glass 5 on both front and back.
The selfie game is handled by a 20MP main sensor and a 2MP depth unit, while the rear panel is led by a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor. It comes in two variants. The handset is powered by Snapdragon 730G.
5. Realme X50 Pro
Realme’s India flagship, X50 Pro (review), is powered by Snapdragon 865 and is also the first 5G phone in the country. The 6.44-inch AMOLED display has a wide and clean punch hole notch in the corner that houses 2 cameras.
The handset has LPDDR5 RAM, fast UFS 3.0 storage, and a 4500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support. So, overall, a very alluring device for hardcore gamers.
Other Realme phones with punch-hole cameras:
6. Samsung Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71
The Galaxy A51 (review) and Galaxy A71 (review) have spectacular designs. These phones are slimmer and lighter than most phones in 2020, which makes them more comfortable to wield and operate.
As all premium and mid-range Samsung phones in 2020, these two have a circular cut-out symmetrically aligned at the center of the status bar. The cut is neet and the AMOLED panel of high-quality.
Also Read: 100+ Best Wallpapers For Hole Punch Displays
7. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max
In India, Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 series is the first to include punch-hole style of notches. The Note 9 Pro and Note 9 Pro Max are both big and bulky phones with 5000mAh batteries that have centrally aligned punch-hole notches on their IPS LCD displays.
Both of these phones employ Snapdragon 720G octa-core chipset, have beefy 5000mAh batteries with fast charging support, 64MP quad-cameras and run Android 10-based MIUI 11 software.
8. Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro
Huawei’s Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro are the two new Kirin 980 powered phones that are competitively priced and bear IPS LCD displays with a punch hole.
The two phones also focus on delivering a remarkable camera experience. You get quad rear cameras and 32MP front camera housed within the front hole. The Honor 20 Pro and Honor 20 have almost identical specs, but the pro variant comes has more RAM and storage and a slightly bigger battery.
9. Motorola One Vision
The Motorola One Vision has a unique 21:9 aspect ratio screen. The unnaturally elongated screen is marked by a punch-hole camera at the top, and its disproportionately restricted width makes it comfortable to wield.
The Lenovo phone employs Samsung’s Exynos 9606 octa-core chipset and has the 48-megapixel Sony sensor for the primary rear camera. Other highlights include a 25MP front camera, 3500mAh battery, and pure stock Android software (Android One).
10. Vivo Z1 Pro
The Z1 Pro is the first Vivo phone with a punch-hole display in India. The handset is powered by Snapdragon 712 octa-core chipset and includes triple rear cameras.
This game-centric online exclusive handset has a massive 6.53-inch screen with full HD+ resolution and a 5000mAh power unit backing it up. Other features include UFS 2.1 storage, LPDDR4X RAM, 16MP selfie camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
11. Moto One Action
Moto One Action is another Android One phone from Motorola that has triple rear cameras and a punch-hole cutout in its elongated 21:9 display for the front camera.
The Moto One Action is powered by Samsung Exynos 6909 chipset paired with a 3500mAh battery. The One Action will retail in 3GB and 4GB RAM options with 32GB and 64GB of storage.
ALSO READ: Nokia 9 PureView Has 5 Rear Cameras – 3 Monochrome and 2 RGB Sensors
So, Notch-Yes or Notch-Less?
Moving ahead, the road could take us to some innovative design alternatives to Notch. Even brands like Meizu could take the Punch-Hole In-display camera route evident from their recent patents. And the only doubt we have is regarding the placement of other sensors and antennas which were otherwise housed in the notch island.
Either way, the notches are on their way out.
A long way, you can finish step by step, and then you can’t reach without a foot