Huawei could be letting the notch die sooner than expected. In a new leak, the upcoming Nova 4 has been exposed with a display cutout. It shows that, rather than a notch at the top of the display, there will be a small space within the panel to store the front-facing camera and ambient light sensor. Maybe notches are due to be overtaken by display cutouts in 2019.

It won't be the first smartphone to ship with a display cutout. Other companies, including Samsung, are preparing high-end and mid-range devices with similar designs. In fact, Samsung has a handful of alternatives to choose from.

The Nova 4 should be able to offer a true edge-to-edge screen. Since there isn't a notch attached to the top, the display can stretch to all edges.

So far, there aren't too many designs that beat out what the notch accomplishes. Some companies are interested in pop-up mechanism that get stored within a smartphone's construction, but there are some reliability concerns with that. It can also be awkward to stuff everything into an enlarged chin or forehead.

We're unsure of when the Nova 4 will make its global debut, but it shouldn't be too far off. Huawei could unveil it later this month or sometime in January. Then a wave of display cutout-toting smartphones should hit throughout 2019.