List of Android Smartphones with Punch Hole Display

Looking back at many of the popular handsets that were released in the Philippines in the past 12 months, I'd say that 2018 was clearly the year of smartphones sporting tall screens with notches of various sizes and designs.

The trend was started by Apple with the iPhone X that was released in the Philippines in November 2017 and soon after, brands like OPPO, Vivo, and Huawei churned out devices like the OPPO F7, OPPO F9, Vivo X21, Vivo V11, and Huawei Nova 3i, which have similar display configuration and fancy-named notches, including Waterdrop and Halo.

Looking at 2019 handsets that have just been announced and those are still in the rumor mill, it's clear that 2019 will be the year of smartphones with punch hole display.

As shown in the image above, in lieu of a notch, these displays have a small "floating" hole either on the right or left corner, which houses the front-facing selfie camera.

I believe this type of screen was crafted as a response to many consumers' disgust or dislike of the notch. Although it's not quite as clean as the display of OPPO Find X - which is the first notch-free and totally button-less full-screen smartphone to be released in many countries around the world - to me, the "Punch Hole Display" certainly looks better than a notched one.

For those who are interested in buying a new handset with this kind of screen this 2019, here are some of the first 2019 Android smartphones with Punch Hole Display that have already been announced and released in some markets around the world.

Samsung Galaxy A8s
Price: CNY 2,999 (est. $450 USD, PHP 23,000)
Key Specs:
158.4 x 74.9 x 7.4 mm
173 grams
6.4 inches, FullHD+ 1080 x 2340 pixels, 403 ppi, 19.5:9, IPS LCD
84.7% Screen-to-Body Ratio
Punch Hole Display
Triple Rear Camera:
24 MegaPixels, f/1.7, PDAF
10 MegaPixels, AF
5 MegaPixels, f/2.2, Depth Sensor
Front Camera:
24 MegaPixels, f/2.0
Video Recorder:
Front and Back - 1080p 30fps
Samsung Experience
Android 9.0 Pie
10nm 2.2GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710
Adreno 616 GPU
6GB and 8GB RAM Options
128GB Internal Storage
microSD Card Slot, up to 512GB
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
FM Radio
4G LTE
Dual SIM
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Facial Recognition
USB Type C Charging Port
Fast Charging
Non-removable Li-Ion 3,400 mAh Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Blue, Gray, Black

This model is already quite popular in China -- thanks to the Chinese actor/celebrity that Samsung got to endorse it in that territory. Also, the design of this handset is reminiscent of Huawei and Apple handsets, giving it a trendy vibe.

Honor View 20
Price: CNY 2,799 (6GB RAM) and CNY 3,299 (8GB RAM)
Official Specs:
156.9 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm
180 grams
6.4 inches, FullHD+ 1080 x 2310 pixels, 398 ppi, IPS LCD
85.7% Screen-to-Body ratio
Punch Hole Display
Dual Rear Camera Module:
48 MegaPixels, f/1.8, 1/2", 0.8µm, PDAF
TOF 3D stereo camera
Front Camera:
25 MegaPixel, f/2.0
Video Recorder:
Front - 1080p 30fps
Back - 4K 30fps, 1080p 30fps, 720p 960fps, Gyro-EIS
Magic UI 2
Android 9.0 Pie
7nm 2.26 GHz Octa Core HiSilicon Kirin 980
Mali-G76 MP10 GPU
6GB and 8GB RAM Options
128GB and 256GB Internal Storage Options
microSD Card Slot, up to 512GB
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
FM Radio
4G LTE
Dual SIM
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Facial Recognition
USB Type C Charging Port
Fast Charging 22.5W (55% in 30 minutes)
Non-removable Li-Po 4,000 mAh Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Sea Blue, Magic Night Black, Phantom Blue, Red

This device was officially launched in China as Honor V20 on December 26, 2018. Its global launch will be on January 22, 2019 in Paris, France.

Huawei Nova 4
Price: CNY 3,399 (for 48 MP variant) and CNY 3,099 (for 20MP variant)
Official Specs:
157 x 75.1 x 7.8 mm
172 grams
6.4 inches, FullHD+ 1080 x 2310 pixels, 398 ppi, IPS LCD
86% Screen-to-Body ratio
Punch Hole Display
Triple Rear Camera Module:
48 MegaPixels, f/1.8, PDAF and 20 MegaPixels f/1.8, PDAF Options
16 MegaPixels, f/2.2
2 MegaPixels, f/2.4, depth sensor
Front Camera:
25 MegaPixel, f/2.0
Video Recorder:
Front - 1080p 30fps, Gyro-EIS
Back - 4K 30fps, 1080p 30fps, Gyro-EIS
EMUI 9
Android 9.0 Pie
10nm 2.4 GHz Octa Core HiSilicon Kirin 970
Mali-G76 MP10 GPU
8GB RAM
128GB Internal Storage
microSD Card Slot, up to 512GB
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2
FM Radio
4G LTE
Dual SIM
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Facial Recognition
USB Type C Charging Port
Fast Charging 18W
Non-removable Li-Ion 3,750 mAh Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Aurora Blue, White, Red, Black

If it weren't for the Triple Rear Cam set-up and the Punch Hole Display, Huawei Nova 4 would have looked exactly like its predecessor.

As of today - January 13, 2019, here are some rumored Android smartphones this year that are expected to have an all-screen face with a punch hole for the selfie snapper.

Nokia 8.1 Plus
Price Guesstimate: PHP 40,000 - PHP 45,000
Purported Specs:
6.22 inches, FullHD+, IPS
Punch Hole Display
Dual ZEISS Rear Camera
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or 855
6GB RAM
128GB Internal Storage
microSD Card Slot
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Dual SIM
USB Type C Port

Moto P40
Price Guesstimate:
Purported Specs: INR 31,990, PHP 24,000
6.2 inches, FullHD+, IPS
Punch Hole Display
Dual Rear Camera Module:
48 MegaPixels, f/1.8, 1/2", 0.8µm, PDAF
5 MegaPixels, f/2.2, Depth Sensor
Front Camera:
12 MegaPixels, f/1.8
Video Recorder:
Back: 4K 30fps, 1080p 30fps
Front: 1080p 30fps
Android 9.0 Pie
11nm Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675
6GB RAM
64GB, 128GB Internal Storage Options
microSD Card Slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
4G LTE
FM Radio
Fingerprint Scanner at the Back
Dual SIM
USB Type C
Fast Charging
Non-removable Li-Po 4,132 mAh battery
Glass, Aluminum
White Black Brown

Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite or S10 E
Price Guesstimate: INR 57,990, PHP 43,000
Purported Specs:
5.8 inches, QHD+, SuperAMOLED
Punch Hole DisplayAndroid 9.0 Pie
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820
6GB of RAM
Non-Removable 3,100 mAh Li-Ion Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Black, White, Blue, Green, Yellow
Possible Announcement: February 20, 2019

Looking at these "leaked" product renders, I like the upper right placement of the Punch Hole on these three flagship Galaxy models. I am right-handed and I think it makes for a perfect angle when I hold the handset horizontally to snap selfies or to record vlogs.

Samsung Galaxy S10
Price Guesstimate: INR 64,990, PHP 48,000
Purported Specs:
6.1 inches, QHD+, SuperAMOLED,
Punch Hole Infinity Display
In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
Android 9.0 Pie
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820
6GB or 8GB of RAM
Non-Removable 3,500 mAh Li-Ion Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Black, White, Blue, Green
Possible Announcement: February 20, 2019

I hope that the secondary front-facing camera of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is for wide-angle photos and videos. I'm starting to vlog so I'd totally appreciate that.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
Price Guesstimate: INR 72,990, PHP 55,000
Purported Specs:
6.4 inches, QHD+, SuperAMOLED,
Oblong Punch Hole Infinity Display
Dual Front Facing Camera
In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
Android 9.0 Pie
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820
6GB or 8GB of RAM
Non-Removable 4,000 mAh Li-Ion Battery
Glass, Aluminum
Black, White, Blue, Green
Possible Announcement: February 20, 2019

Alright! That's the list for now. I'll update this blog post once I get official details on the rumored handsets as well as every time a new smartphone with Punch Hole Display surfaces in leaks or gets formally announced.