Apple’s plans to create an iPhone with a totally bezel-free show are reportedly going through important technical challenges, with a brand new report suggesting that the know-how is probably not prepared by 2026 as beforehand hoped.
Xiaomi’s 2021 Quad-Curved Waterfall Show idea cellphone
Apple has seemingly been on a years-long quest to slim down the bezels on its iPhone fashions till they vanish out of sight, however it appears like the primary “zero-bezel” iPhone continues to be a number of years away but. In accordance with Korean-language outlet The Elec, Apple has been working with Samsung Show and LG Show to develop the revolutionary display know-how, however the work has hit snags.
Apple’s imaginative and prescient reportedly differs considerably from present curved show implementations, resembling these beforehand utilized in Samsung smartphones or Xiaomi’s “quad-curved waterfall show” idea. The iPhone maker is particularly working to keep away from the “magnifying glass impact” that sometimes happens on curved show edges like these already seen on some smartphones.
In distinction to typical curved-edge telephones, Apple is alleged to examine a singular design that maintains the iPhone’s signature flat show and angular sides whereas extending the display seamlessly over the perimeters, just like the present Apple Watch design. Some trade insiders have reportedly described the meant aesthetic as “pebble-like.”
Nonetheless, the technical challenges apparently stay substantial. Each Samsung Show and LG Show have to adapt two present applied sciences, together with Skinny Movie Encapsulation (TFE) for shielding OLED shows from environmental harm, and Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA) for bonding clear adhesive movies round curved edges. The suppliers additionally want to make sure there’s sufficient house for elements just like the iPhone antenna.
The event of OCA know-how particularly has reportedly confirmed troublesome, as the present options endure from side-view distortion points, and engineers have nonetheless to deal with affect harm issues for the edge-wrapped show design.
Apple had deliberate to start mass manufacturing in time for the shows to characteristic on an iPhone 18 in 2026, however for that to occur, discussions with show producers ought to have already been finalized by now. Nonetheless, trade insiders report that these talks are nonetheless ongoing, suggesting the timeline for introducing the “zero-bezel” know-how on an iPhone will seemingly slip additional into the long run.