The Bezeled Truth: are edge-to-edge screens practical for real-world use? [POLL]
Earlier this week we got our hands on the Sharp Aquos Crystal and its amazing “edge-to-edge” display. The specs of the phone are no more than a simple mid-range device, but the display alone has drawn a lot of attention. The “bezel-less” phone has been a dream for tech geeks for a long time. We’ve seen these devices on Star Trek and other sci-fi media, but they have eluded the real world.
The appeal of a device with no bezels is clear. As displays get bigger and bigger so do devices. If you could eliminate all the area around the display it would be much easier to hold. The Aquos Crystal is one of the closest devices we’ve seen to the bezel-less dream, despite having a big “chin” bezel. I’m still not sold on the idea. Are phones without bezels practical to use in the real world?
The big problem with a device that has no bezels is where your hand goes. If there is no bezel around the display you have to hold the device awkwardly in order to not accidentally trigger a touch. Some devices have deliberately been made with larger bezels in order to accommodate the way people will hold it. Those bezels are serving an important purpose. Imagine trying to play a game in landscape mode with nowhere to put your thumbs. This is a problem that some companies are already addressing.
Some phones with minimal bezel have a display that can detect when your hand is accidentally touching the display. When this happens it will ignore those touches so you can still interact with the device normally. This is great, but it doesn’t completely solve the problem. Your hand may not be triggering incorrect touches, but it’s still blocking something from your view. What good is a big bezel-less device if your hand and fingers are constantly blocking part of the screen?
I’m not ready to jump into the world of no bezels, but I know many of you are. Right now I think bezels serve a very important purpose. Some devices do come with a ridiculous amount of bezel (ahem, HTC One M8), but most devices do a good job of trimming it down. Do you have any of the same concerns that I do? Are you dying to buy a phone with no bezel? Let us know in the poll and comments below!
[polldaddy poll=8260970]