Apple pioneered the reduction of bezels in smartphones. The company impressed the tech industry in 2017 with the shrunk and symmetrical bezel design of the iPhone X. Since then, other phone brands have surpassed the Cupertino giant in terms of bezel reduction and usable screen space. While Apple wanted to impress again with a true fullscreen iPhone, the firm has had to postpone the plans.
Apple wanted to launch a bezel-less iPhone in 2026
As reported by The Elec, the next big leap in iPhone front design will be to boost the fullscreen experience. The first step will be to develop a “bezel-less” screen. Samsung Display and LG Display are the suppliers in charge of achieving this technology. Apple was expecting to implement these displays in 2026, but we will have to wait a little longer since the technology is not yet ready.
Samsung Display and LG Display have encountered some technical challenges when developing the “bezel-less” display that Apple wants. The panel design should enable its edges to blend with the sides of the device in a slight curve. It would be similar to the way the screens on Apple Watch devices integrate into the wearable case. Currently, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models feature a flat profile.
The issues that caused Apple to postpone the true fullscreen iPhone
Apple doesn’t want a conventional curved screen but a more sophisticated design. It aims to completely remove the “zoom effect” or distortions in the curves at the edges of the display. To do this, suppliers must work on key technologies that guarantee both the integrity of the component and the image quality.
For starters, such screens require a special TFE (Thin-Film encapsulation) process. TFE should keep bezel-less OLEDs protected from factors such as moisture and oxygen. Meanwhile, OCA (Optical Clear Adhesive), the other key technology, seems to be the one that is causing the most headaches.
OCA is based on a transparent film that should join the bezel-less screen to the device, keeping everything in place. This film must perfectly adapt to the curvatures of the edges of the component. However, neither Samsung nor LG have managed to solve the problem of image distortion at the edges after using OCA. There are also concerns about the integrity of the curved areas of the display, since they are more exposed.
Another technological challenge is the redesign of the internal structure of iPhones. The technology that Apple is looking for involves the firm being able to make “bendable” the circuits that are traditionally near the screen bezel on iPhones. The company also needs to free up more space to implement the antenna and avoid signal interference.
UPC (under-panel camera) implementation is also on the table
Apple could also implement the UPC (under-panel camera) technology for the iPhone front camera. However, this is not yet certain due to the obvious loss in image quality that still exists. Plus, iPhones use additional sensors in order to enable 3D face unlock.
In 2023, Samsung announced that they were working on a concept product that would integrate both UPC and zero-bezel technologies. We will have to wait and see if the South Korean giant really manages to solve the problems associated with the image quality of cameras hidden under OLED screens. Apple could be one of the main beneficiaries of such a tech breakthrough.
