Bezels

[Crono]

Anyone else tired hearing about bezels from people who are always complaining about them?

It's not that I love big bezels (I cannot lie), but most phones people are complaining about don't have disgustingly huge bezels, especially compared to phones of past generations. It just seems very nitpick-y, too, and it's funny that the phones that aren't complaining about bezel-wize have numerous other flaws or just aren't as well designed in other areas. Asymmetry with bezels (like with the HTC One) doesn't bother me, either, but taking issue with that makes a little more sense to me.

Having minimized bezels does matter because it means you can fit more screen onto a device without increasing the overall device dimensions, but that's like the 30th priority for me when comparison shopping mobile tech... display quality and color accuracy, display size, camera quality, speaker and sound/headphone amp quality, body design, overall phone durability, processor speed, RAM, storage, whether it supports external storage, whether I can use the screen with gloves, battery life, charging time, etc (in no particular order) all matter more to me, and yet it seems like 1 out of every 10 posts in this forum on a new device someone will mention bezels as a huge reason whether to buy or not buy a device.

I'd like to hear from you bezel people: do you want a bezel-less device or is there a perfect size for bezels to be? I wouldn't even want a bezel-less phone or tablet unless the very edges of the display are set to reject digitizer input, or by some other means for the OS to disregard accidental contact there from holding the device. Manufacturers are getting (a little) better at constructing phones and displays, but if the face is all or mostly glass I would want to make sure it weren't any more vulnerable to breaking, too.

EDIT: Older but good article on why bezels are used

 

[wilds]

When I go back to using an iPhone 4/4s, it's gigantic bezels annoy me. Anything larger, including iPhone 5 seems alright to me.

Dell has recently released a tablet with very small bezels on the sides, but it does hurt its usability; especially in landscape mode. I agree that if software disables the touchscreen at the edges of a bezel-less design, then there wouldn't be any significant usability issues along with a more attractive appearance. Large bezels are ugly. They are gigantic on my Nexus 7.

 

[bearxor]

No they do not. If bezels make or break a device for you the you should only be buying Samsung devices. No mainstream smart device in the market has bezels that are too large or anywhere near it.

 

[ControlD]

Honestly, it really isn't something I even pay attention to. There are more important factors to me than how much extra material is surrounding the screen, especially considering I'll be adding my own extra with a case.

 

[Red Storm]

If you've only been using phones that have thick bezels then sure you may not care, but after using phones like the LG G2, I can no longer stand thick bezels. They are ugly, "wasted" space on a phone. I applaud OEMs who try to fit as much screen as possible. It looks much better and more modern.

Look at the old iPad compared to the Air. Slimming those bezels made a HUGE difference.

However, there is an entirely different issue when it comes to bezels. I really dislike how seemingly everyone except Apple and Samsung have asymmetric bezels on the top and bottom. It may not be an eye sore in portrait, but when you turn that phone landscape it's really noticeable. It's like buying an HDTV that has thicker bezels on the right then on the left, no one would buy that or like it. Tablets don't have asymmetric bezels, they would look ridiculous if they did. It's like the OEMs don't think about how their phones look in landscape. Symmetry goes a long way in mobile gadget design, but unfortunately only a few OEMs seem to get it.

I'm still waiting for a phone that has slim, symmetric bezels with front facing speakers.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm indifferent, but I wouldn't want smaller bezels than my S5 has. That gives me room to put a case on it, and not block the screen.

 

[WelshBloke]

It's not that I love big bezels (I cannot lie)

:awe:

People do get a bit heavy about them. I think if they are there for a reason and the reason is important to you then thats fine, otherwise not so much.

For instance I'm OK with the slightly larger bezels on the S5 vs the S4 because they are only slightly larger and I really, really like the waterproof thing (I've got some awesome video of my daughter learning to swim). On the other hand I'm not into the large top and bottom on the M8 because the speakers dont do anything for me personally (plus that extra bit should totally not be there). Abominations like the iPhone 4S were just taking the piss and there was no excuse.

 

[Oyeve]

Never bothered me as I don't use iPhone at all or any cheap Android phones. I've always been on Samsung Galaxy phones which have always had a good bezel to screen ratio.

 

[shabby]

If only this phone had higher end specs...

 

[vi edit]

There's a balancing act and it's more of an act of function rather that beauty for me. The Moto X has almost *too* small of bezels on the edges. If you use even a super thin case on it it's very hard to hit keys on the edge of the screen. It's very noticeable with swipe type texting.

Then you have something like the HTC M8 and it's enormous chins that take an already big phone and make it even bigger for not a lot of gain. Apple is going to be hitting the physical size limits on it's phones too unless it starts to go with onscreen buttons and removing the physical home key. Their phones are just getting to be too big to comfortably handle without having overly large screens for their physical dimensions. Most of that is due to the space needed for the home button.

So in short…I'm all for moderate bezel usage!

 

[bearxor]

This is the bottom bezel size of current flagship devices with an iPhone 6 used as the base.

 

[soccerballtux]

Nexus 5 and LG G2 had it perfect.

 

[Megatomic]

Bezel symmetry isn't a concern for me but I do prefer the smaller bezels of today's phones. Even the M8 is ok to my eye.

 

[Strk]

I think it depends what's in those bezels. I can accept a bigger top and bottom bezel if it has decent speakers in both like the Z3 and M8. I know the Nexus 6 has them too, but the whole phone is huge, so the bezel size is relative.

 

[Yuriman]

There's a point at which large bezels bother me, but my Moto X is definitely well below that point. HTC's, and some of Apple's, border on too big for me.

 

[Commodus]

The size of the bezel isn't the only thing that matters -- it's how it gels with the rest of the phone design. The iPhone 6 bezel is nice because it tapers off -- it's almost blended with the phone, and it really helps for edge gestures. The phone itself is slippery... but that's another matter.

To me, the main thing that matters is whether not you can reach enough of the screen and feel comfortable. That's true of most phones these days.

 

[WelshBloke]

This is the bottom bezel size of current flagship devices with an iPhone 6 used as the base.

They need to normalise the size of the phones in that picture.

 

[notposting]

I don't really care -- million other things first -- I guess they do play a part in the overall look and feel of the phone (like...the M8 with the logo strip? that would just infuriate me all day long ) but otherwise *shrug*.

I kind of wish someone would build a flagship level rugged phone. Much as I like something like the 2.5D tapered glass edge on the Nokia's, I always have em in a case anyway. So just *build* the phone in a rugged manner to begin with. Raised lip around the screen. Recessed camera. Dust/water resistant at least (flaps maybe? better have wireless charging).

 

[Zodiark1593]

Since I almost always use a bulky case on my phones (otterbox defender on my G2) bezels aren't a particular concern. Very wide bezels (proportionate to the rest of the phone) however can feel cheap.

 

[WelshBloke]

Since I almost always use a bulky case on my phones (otterbox defender on my G2) bezels aren't a particular concern. Very wide bezels (proportionate to the rest of the phone) however can feel cheap.

I hate using any sort of case on my phone. I used to buy serious cases then I thought, its in my pocket or in my hand, I'm not trying to beat bears to death with it.

Now yes, there's the off chance I may spaz out and throw it across the room but honestly I'd rather not ah heck up my day to day experience by wrapping it in a few mm of rubber.

Obviously if you do use your phone to beat bears to death or enjoy the feel of several mm of rubber this doesn't apply to you.

 

[Yuriman]

I hate using any sort of case on my phone. I used to buy serious cases then I thought, its in my pocket or in my hand, I'm not trying to beat bears to death with it.

Now yes, there's the off chance I may spaz out and throw it across the room but honestly I'd rather not ah heck up my day to day experience by wrapping it in a few mm of rubber.

Obviously if you do use your phone to beat bears to death or enjoy the feel of several mm of rubber this doesn't apply to you.

I go without protection too. :thumbsup:

 

[Zodiark1593]

I hate using any sort of case on my phone. I used to buy serious cases then I thought, its in my pocket or in my hand, I'm not trying to beat bears to death with it.

Now yes, there's the off chance I may spaz out and throw it across the room but honestly I'd rather not ah heck up my day to day experience by wrapping it in a few mm of rubber.

Obviously if you do use your phone to beat bears to death or enjoy the feel of several mm of rubber this doesn't apply to you.

I actually am not too fond of the thinness of my G2 in my (large) hand, with the case, it has a much more substantial, even if I don't end up bludgeoning bears with it. Also, the case actually helps somewhat with visibility when I hold my phone one handed as my palm encroaches on screen space otherwise. I did remove the screen protector though. The display is too damn nice to hide it behind a soft piece of plastic.

 

[notposting]

I hate using any sort of case on my phone. I used to buy serious cases then I thought, its in my pocket or in my hand, I'm not trying to beat bears to death with it.

Now yes, there's the off chance I may spaz out and throw it across the room but honestly I'd rather not ah heck up my day to day experience by wrapping it in a few mm of rubber.

Obviously if you do use your phone to beat bears to death or enjoy the feel of several mm of rubber this doesn't apply to you.

I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've dropped any of my naked smartphones. Now, if you add my wife and now, the little critters we have, into the equation, that number goes up a lot.

I think the last smartphone I really wasn't too worried about was my OG Droid. That was more of a weapon than something to be coddled.

(I also fondly remember my Nextel...hmm. i550 plus? i700 plus? Big block with rubberized sides, but it was slightly nonstandard in not being the bright yellow version. That thing was indestructible.)

 

[WelshBloke]

I actually am not too fond of the thinness of my G2 in my (large) hand, with the case, it has a much more substantial, even if I don't end up bludgeoning bears with it.

That's a good point, I don't like the extreme thinness of a lot of devices either. When the phones got a bit of depth it sits better in your hand. I always tend to swap out the original battery for a slightly larger one and end up with a nicer feeling phone plus longer run time.

I think that the sweet spot for me is just under 1cm with a curve to the back and no camera hump.

 

[Minerva]

Since modern phones have glass all the way to the edge why not get rid of the bezel/borders completely? Have an active display "coast to coast" and top to bottom! Before people say that won't work and since we're moving to eventually what may be 4K displays why not introduce virtual bezels?

End users can pick how wide they want the bezels. Another trick is to have the screen active to the edge but map the active (touch) area only to a certain point. This way false touches from gripping/holding are eliminated.

Also give a choice of what kind of buttons, docks, you name it.

Get rid of the presence of (hardware) buttons completely. The Nexus 6 has none and it works great.

Speakers could be on the very edge, slots like on the Surface Pro 3. The actual speaker component would be deep inside with a tunnel to route the sound through the edge of the display.

There would have to be a slight inactive edge for things like sensors, front facing cam, etc.

But yes, it would be possible to have a near "bezel-less" design without the typical ergonomic difficulties with such a design.

And get rid of non user enabled boot loader locks enforced by carriers while they're at it!