I still prefer the status bar clean, notch or no notch. Status bar clutter is still a huge Android problem (one I end up spending hours to fix by setting many to 'minimized'). Even worse, EVERY notification no matter how insignificant makes sound out of the box. I always hate that. Old Android 2.3 only made noise for calls, SMS, and email out the gate. Also I miss the ticker that used to occupy the status bar. That was convenient.
But no, I meant that no one can see any notification icons when an iPhone is locked. None of these constant questions "what is this icon on my girlfriend/boyfriend's phone' issues on Macrumors.