The man-bun, or top-knot, you’ve seen it and likely rolled your eyes – well in 2018 at least. This hairstyle started in 200BC and was popular among samurai warriors and sumo wrestlers .

Fast forward a bunch of years, and its resurgence in 2013 quickly becomes associated with hipsters and the like. It spreads like wildfire and men all over the world try to grow their hair out to achieve this style. Yes, even yours truly (to see that, you’ll need to watch the video below).

But today, you see man-buns and top-knots less and less. It’s fading, and men are catching on – it ain’t a good look. It’s the modern-day mullet, and we all know it’s a fad hairstyle, that for some reason or another, caught on. Fads also come and go. Such is the notch. That lovely notch. In particular, the notch on the Google Pixel 3 XL, which brought me to this point.

To me, and one of the biggest reasons why I’m returning my Google Pixel 3 XL, is because of that gigantic notch. I just can’t look passed it. First, let me explain in more detail how the notch is like a man-bun.

• It rests on the top of the device, like a man-bun or top-knot. This point is fairly simple.
• Man-buns and notches started low-key. The first company to incorporate a notch on their device was Essential with their Essential Phone. The man-bun appeared in modern style in London, around 2010. And according to Google search trends, man-bun searches increased in 2013.
• Man-buns and notches get celebrity endorsement/sponsorship. Hair poster boy, David Beckham, rocks one – an innovator if you may. Then we see the likes of Jared Leto, Chris Hemsworth, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Orlando Bloom rocking one. Those celebrities I just mentioned, they’re the Apple in this analogy.
• Man-buns and notches begin to catch on. The mobile device world sees Apple’s notch, and wants to be just like them. Manufacturers, LG, Huawei, OnePlus, Google want a phone-man-bun too, so they begin growing their hair, figuratively of course, so they too can have man-bun notches, just like Apple’s.
• Man-buns and notches, generally, serve no purpose. I’m speaking about specifically Android notches. Manufacturers say they incorporate a notch to have better screen-to-body ratio, but in most notches are cameras and speakers. We’ve seen devices that can incorporate a camera, speaker and minimal bezels – like Samsung. Oppo has a device that features a pop-up camera. Man-buns today signify nothing, while man-buns in ancient times stood for many different things – like showing others you were married. Apple’s notch? It houses the Face ID technology.

Now let me get back to the Google Pixel 3 XL and its notch. Yes, you can hide the notch, similar to putting a hat over a man-bun – but that doesn’t make it okay! I can only accept a notch, especially one that big, if it serves a greater purpose. Like awesome Face Unlock technology.

The Pixel 3 XL’s great camera, speedy software, and great build quality, to me, are negated by the faux pas that is that notch. My eye is drawn to it whenever I’m using the screen. And it really sucks since I’m a huge fan of the Pixel line of devices. If I’m spending near $1000 for a phone, I need to be happy about all aspects of the device. Including what’s happening on the top.

My next device, if it is to have a notch, needs to serve a purpose. Plain and simple. Much like I’ll never rock a man-bun again, I vow to not use an Android device with a useless notch.