The quality of the webcam on the newer XPS is pretty subpar though. It was a step down from their previous webcam setup below the display, which was very unfla

The quality of the webcam on the newer XPS is pretty subpar though. It was a step down from their previous webcam setup below the display, which was very unflattering and blocked if you typed. When they moved it up to the top again, the sensor was shrunk and (I believe, but may be mistaken) the lens array was simplified. The notch lets Apple keep a higher quality camera there than if they integrated it directly into the bezel like Dell. It's a "solved problem" if you're only designing to solve a very specific problem, but physics is uncompromising, and you therefore have tradeoffs if you want better image from the camera.