Double trouble: Android P developer preview brings dual notch support

Google has introduced support for screens with two notches in its latest Android P developer preview (DP2). As spotted by 9to5Google, developers can not only preview how their app would look on a display with a center or corner notch, but also what it would look like with both a top and a bottom notch.

The Android P developer previews offer a way for developers to prepare apps for compatibility with the next major Android version, which itself is being primed for upcoming smartphones and technologies. With dual-notch support being a part of the latest preview, there’s a good chance devices with this type of design will be produced in the future.

In fact, manufacturers already appear to be planning devices with two notches. Patents revealed in late April suggest that ZTE has been considering a device with this a dual-notch display. The ZTE patents show a phone with a small notch at the top for a camera and a notch at the bottom for the home button.

When the original developer preview, released in March, included notch support, we speculated that this meant Google planned to incorporate a notch into the Pixel 3. With the handset expected to be launched around October, is it too late to rule out a double notch for the Pixel 3’s display?

While notches have been a very divisive feature on Android devices, the recent influx of them suggests that they are here to stay. At least the new developer preview will give devs time to prepare for the two-notch possibility, and offer greater support for them.

Google confirmed yesterday that there will be three more developer previews released in June and July before Android P gets a final release in Q3 2018.

Next up: Android P beta hands-on: Gestures galore