The Display Notch is Apple’s Branding Status Symbol

What was once considered a compromise has now become Apple’s most identifiable hardware design element

If I told you to picture a BMW car, what would be the first thing that comes to your mind? Would it be the logo? Or maybe you would remember one of their sedans that have been in movies throughout the years? I would contend that when you think of BMW, the first thing that comes to mind is their iconic vertically oriented grille. It is a staple of every BMW vehicle that has been made for decades. The grille of course serves a purpose: to allow airflow under the hood which serves to keep the engine and radiator cool.

But as the future has moved more and more into electric cars, the grille has become an unnecessary design decision in cars. Think about the Tesla Model 3, the car does not have a grille simply because it doesn’t need it. Yet when BMW entered the electric car race, its designs all featured the trademark BMW vertical grille. BMW determined that the grille was a design aesthetic that tied people to their brand.

I couldn’t help but think of BMW and this decision when Apple recently showed off its redesigned MacBook Pro. More importantly the fact that Apple decided to put a display notch into the new MacBook’s design, much like its iPhones. Apple has consciously made the decision that the display…