Apple is one of the most well-known brands in the world. The company's offerings have been paramount to the success of several devices commonly used today, one of which, of course, is the iconic iPhone.
Released in 2007, the iPhone has seen continued success over the past 10 years, even as the smartphone space became saturated with countless options to choose from between different brands and operating systems. Even during the year of its tenth anniversary, tech enthusiasts from all over are curious to see what the Cupertino company has cooking for the next generation iPhone, which is expected to be revealed sometime this fall.
As I browse headlines and occasionally come across rumors and leaks regarding the upcoming device – whether the company decided to bring back the 3.5mm headphone jack, will it have Touch ID, will it have a curved display or small bezels, etc. – I can’t help but think about what I would like to see happen with the iPhone, whether it’s this year or sometime in the future.
At some point, I realized exactly what I hope to see: the iconic Apple logo put to good use.
For some, the iPhone is the ideal phone because it connects well with other Apple products. Others enjoy it because iOS is simply their preferred operating system. And for some, it’s about the company’s rather prestigious reputation. The Apple logo is as quintessential to the Apple brand as the products themselves as a quick visual representation of the company’s official products. Rarely do you see companies for case and skin accessories make an effort for any other brand to cut out the area where the logo is placed; it is a badge of honor for many.
And yet, it is almost entirely useless.
Those who are familiar with Apple products probably know that the Apple logo on Mac computers were, up until recently, a little different from the logo on iPads and iPhones in the sense that they lit up when the computer was in use. It wasn’t exactly useful so much as a whimsical decoration, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the Apple logo could be so much more useful than it is – especially on iPhones or iPads.
One of the things I miss when I go back to iOS from an Android device is the notification light. It’s a small feature, but it’s an important one for me. I like knowing what kind of notifications are waiting for me. Even with features like Active Display, I still find that I prefer the notification light – I can see it from farther away, and sometimes I just don’t want a bunch of detailed information on display.
But the iPhone doesn’t have a notification light. It never really has. Obviously, it hasn’t been a deal breaker, but I do think that’s a feature I would still like to see on the iPhone, and why not use the otherwise useless Apple logo on the back of the device to do so? I would argue that having a notification light on the back of a phone isn’t ideal, but Apple’s current solution of having a “notification light” is to use the camera flash on the back of the device anyway, so why not make it an official option? There are already plenty of options out there to mod the iPhone to illuminate the logo, but I still think it would be a cool option to have straight out of the box.
At the very least, I would love to see Apple include a notification light at some point. Considering the company took away the illuminated logo on Macs, the idea seems a little far-fetched now. Then again, it's always seemed far-fetched; I’ve been hoping for the feature for years, along with haptic feedback and swipe typing on the stock keyboard. So far no dice, but a dreamer can dream.
Readers, do you think Apple should include a notification LED on the iPhone somehow? If nothing else, should the Apple icon on the back light up like it does on the Mac, or should it remain a subtle addition to the back of the device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
