With the Dynamic Island, Apple has won gold

The most striking revelation at the iPhone 14 Apple event this week was without a doubt the Dynamic Island, which turns a weakness into a strength.

Dynamic Island: from weakness to strength

During this week’s iPhone 14 Apple event, a number of things stood out. These were the insanely elaborate movie sets that Apple built to promote its products. And that the company thinks we’re going to climb mountains or run in the desert en masse, when we actually want to scroll through Instagram and TikTok on the couch at home. But there’s one thing we really raved about: the new Dynamic Island.

The notch has always been a thorny issue in iPhone design. This notch in the screen is necessary for the TrueDepth camera that cannot (yet) be placed under the screen. Although this black bar is no longer noticeable after a while, it is not very beautiful.

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 Pro, we saw the successor to the notch: a pill. This one floats uncomfortably at the top of the screen. As if a small notch had sunk down a little too far and came off the edge. It was a bit strange, but our concern quickly disappeared.

On a dynamic island

Apple makes the smart choice to extend the pill to the iPhone’s software. The pill is therefore not a disturbing notch in the screen, but the location of the new Dynamic Island.

This island seems to change shape when you see notifications from iOS, such as when connecting your AirPods, using Face ID, or when you receive a call. That is of course not really the case, because the notch remains the same size. But the notifications are so animated that they seem to grow out of the notch. And because the notifications are black, the pill seems to disappear. You can even tap the pill to learn more about the notification.

That looks so cool and it’s of course extra clever that Apple has turned a weakness (an ugly notch) into a strength. You want this on every smartphone! Android manufacturers are now kicking themselves that they haven’t incorporated the notches in their devices into the software just as cleverly. They’ve tried to hide their notch and pill holes, but Apple is putting its in the spotlight.

Instantly recognizable

For a long time, many new iPhones were sold, because they wanted the latest model. You immediately saw on the street who had such a new device. In recent years, that was less, because all iPhones started to look alike and innovation stagnated. The Dynamic Island is now definitely another reason to covet a brand new aircraft. Even more than a better camera or a faster chip can.

This is so unique that Apple can use it in the marketing of its devices for years to come. The problem is that this innovation can only be found in the very expensive iPhone 14 Pro. So hopefully the Dynamic Island will find a spot on all new iPhone 15 models next year.

Over the next few years, the notch will likely get smaller and smaller, but the Dynamic Island is here to stay. At least until the entire TrueDepth camera disappears below the screen.

Everything about the iPhone 14 event

Apple revealed a lot during the iPhone 14 event. In our round-up you can read everything about the new iPhones, new Apple Watches and the latest AirPods. We also help you to pre-order the iPhone 14.

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