iPhone 8 Concepts Explore How Apple Could Hide or 'Embrace' the Display's Sensor Notch

We're a little over one month out from the expected September unveiling of the ten year anniversary iPhone, which has come to be known as the "iPhone 8" ahead of release. While recent HomePod firmware discoveries have essentially confirmed the iPhone 8's edge-to-edge design and front-facing sensor bar notch, it's still unclear how iOS 11 will be incorporated into all of these drastically redesigned hardware upgrades.

New mockups shared by Allen Pike and Max Rudberg this week have taken a look at how these changes might be realized in an iPhone 8 running iOS 11. Particularly, the mockups address one of the more curious additions in the iOS 11 beta: large, banner pieces of text that sit atop apps like Messages, Mail, and the App Store. Pike pointed out that these "Large Title" banners sit below navigation buttons in many of the apps, with plenty of "weirdly empty" white space on current model iPhones.

iphone pro mockup


Pike's theory, further polished in enhanced mockups by Rudberg, is that iOS 11 will shift the topmost navigation buttons within these apps to a bottom bar -- perhaps a "function area" -- where users will easily be able to tap UI inputs to jump around within the apps.

In total, Rudberg realized three possible outcomes that Apple could create with regards to the sensor bar notch and bottom navigation inputs. In the first mockup, the entirety of the iPhone 8's 5.8-inch display is used by the status bar and navigation buttons at the bottom near the virtual home button.

iphone 8 embrace the notch


The next two designs include a variety of combinations: the sensor bar using an all-black UI to hide the hardware notch, and the same effect "blending" the bottom navigation bar. As for Rudberg himself, at first he was more favorable of the UI blending the notch into the software of the iPhone, but due to what would result in a visually smaller display, he's now hoping that Apple will "embrace the notch."

Beforehand I was fond of the idea of blending the statusbar with the hardware, but seeing the mockups like this, I’m not so sure. Blending the statusbar with the hardware makes the screen seem smaller than it is and the result is less striking. I’m now leaning towards that Apple will embrace the notch.

This week, HomePod firmware data also revealed that the notch will sit between a "split" status bar, where iOS 11 will showcase data like connection, battery, Bluetooth, and more on each side of the notch. One question mark that remains in Rudberg's mockups is where the time will be located in iOS 11 on an iPhone 8, although there appears to be some room on the left or right side of the front-facing hardware for it to be located.

The front-facing sensor bar on the iPhone 8 has been a point of contention for device concept and mockups over the past few months. It's expected that this bar will hold the earpiece, front-facing camera, and new 3D sensors for advanced facial recognition. Recent rumors have suggested that the iPhone 8 will do away with Touch ID completely, and rely on facial recognition abilities to authenticate purchases and other iOS elements that the fingerprint sensor previously guarded.

To see all of the iPhone 8 mockups shared this week, check out Pike's blog post here and Rudberg's here.

Related Forums: iOS 11, iPhone

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...

Top Rated Comments

826317 Avatar
101 months ago
I think they should always keep the background of the status bar black no matter what app is running
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
101 months ago
Because of the lack of Touch ID most likely I’ll upgrade to the iPhone 7s
Lack of Touch ID would require Apple to rewrite their Apple Pay agreement, which means that every retailer and every bank would have to agree to the new one. Remember how long it took for some to get on Apple Pay in the first place? It'd be a huge problem for millions of users while we waited for all of them to accept such a change.

I just don't see them completely leaving Touch ID, especially considering they just added it to the MBP. If they were transitioning away from it to a camera-based system, why put in the work to add it to the MBP, only to remove it and have to integrate the new system a year later?
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
101 months ago
I really dislike the first mockup; nothing like reducing the physical bezel and home button… and then adding them back in with software.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rlmcguire Avatar
101 months ago
Where is the clock going to go?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sunny1990 Avatar
101 months ago
Edit [Correction]:- While those are some cool mockups but here is a mockup which looks much better in my opinion. i like the way how that camera cutout blends in with display even with white front.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
826317 Avatar
101 months ago
I'm really interested to see where they will be putting it as well
I think they should remove the carrier name from the top left hand side. I've never understood why the carrier needed to always be displayed in the status bar. Put the clock in its place, happy days.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)