Apple accused of ‘disguising’ iPhone XS and XS Max notch in adverts
Lawsuit also argues that the advertised iPhone X screen resolution is incorrect

Apple is facing a lawsuit for allegedly disguising the screen “notch” on its iPhone XS and XS Max smartphones.
While the notch – the small indent at the top of the screen that houses the device’s camera and sensors – is visible when the handsets are unlocked, the lawsuit claims it cannot be seen in the images Apple uses to advertise the phones.
These promotional images have now come under fire from Courtney Davis and Christian Sponchiado, who claim in a lawsuit that the pictures “disguise” the notch by cleverly using a black background.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The lawsuit claims that Davis believed the device she pre-ordered would not come with a notch, Business Insider reports.
Along with the notch cover-up accusation, the lawsuit also argues that the iPhone X has a lower screen resolution than the advertised 2436x1125 pixel count, says CNet.
According to the plaintiffs, the pixel density is false because the device “doesn’t contain true pixels with red, green and blue subpixels in each pixel”, the tech site reports. Instead, the iPhone X reportedly “only has two subpixels per pixel, which is less than advertised”.
The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California and is currently pending class-action status, The Sun notes.
It’s not the only lawsuit Apple is facing. Last week, it told Reuters that it would launch a software update to avert a sales ban in China after chipmaker Qualcomm accused the tech giant of using its patents without permission.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Why won't Apple make iPhones in America?
Today's Big Question Trump offers a reprieve on tariffs, for now
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AI
Feature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
By The Week US
-
Space-age living: The race for robot servants
Feature Meta and Apple compete to bring humanoid robots to market
By The Week US
-
Apple pledges $500B in US spending over 4 years
Speed Read This is a win for Trump, who has pushed to move manufacturing back to the US
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
TikTok alternatives surge in popularity as app ban looms
The Explainer TikTok might be prohibited from app stores in the United States
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
DOJ seeks breakup of Google, Chrome
Speed Read The Justice Department aims to force Google to sell off Chrome and make other changes to rectify its illegal search monopoly
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Google Maps gets an AI upgrade to compete with Apple
Under the Radar The Google-owned Waze, a navigation app, will be getting similar upgrades
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
How will the introduction of AI change Apple's iPhone?
Today's Big Question 'Apple Intelligence' is set to be introduced on the iPhone 16 as part of iOS 18
By Justin Klawans, The Week US