Bezel-free iPhone 20 display inches closer to production

The 20th anniversary iPhone could lose the bezels completely, and look very different to current designs

Rumor Score

🤔 Possible

Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have a bezel-less design thanks to a four-sided bending OLED panel, with LG Display pushing to perfect manufacturing processes for the 2027 model.

The 2027 update to the iPhone will mark its 20th anniversary, and will be a big deal for Apple to celebrate. That means creating a model with a stand-out design, which is widely believed to be bezel-free.

According to industry sources of DealSite, while Apple is working with both LG Display and Samsung Display on the screen, LG Display is actively pursuing orders for equipment to manufacture it. By contrast, Samsung Display is said to be a bit more cautious on the matter.

The display will bring a true all-screen design to the iPhone model, the sources add. This will be through the use of a four-sided bending technology, which will allow the screen to go around the edges on four sides.

A version of this concept was demonstrated by the Galaxy Note Edge in 2014, which had the screen expand to the side of the smartphone. This allowed for extra notification indicators to be visible to the user, even if the main screen section was not visible.

For Apple's implementation, this could give the effect of there not being an edge bezel for the display at all.

Creating Apple's ideal screen design is tougher to manufacture, sources state. This requires a process to bend the panel circuit, as well as creating an even slimmer version of the thin film encapsulation (TFE) that protects the OLED panel from moisture and oxygen.

The difficulty is also ramped up by needing to accommodate an under-display camera to handle Face ID. This would give the appearance of a full-screen iPhone display that lacks any cut-outs or embellishments, like the Dynamic Island, ruining the appearance.

Full-screen design

There have been a few rumors about the design of the 20th anniversary iPhone model, chiefly discussing the display design. Indeed, there are reports from 2023 of Apple requesting Samsung Display and LG Display to develop a version of the screen to eliminate front bezels completely.

While the rumors proposed that it would arrive in 2026 with the iPhone 18, development issues meant that the display would have to wait for another year. As a seeming happy accident, that coincided with the approximate timeline for a 20th-anniversary model's release.

The under-screen Face ID rumors have also persisted, though it has been rumored to arrive earlier in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. The change in display would also necessitate using a different chassis, which could be an all-glass design for the model.

There's even been claims about the actual launch timing, with one analyst believing that the 20th-anniversary iPhone would arrive in the first half of 2027, closer to the actual anniversary date of the launch. The same source also believes that Apple could skip the iPhone 19 name to capitalize on the milestone nature of the number 20.

Comments

atomic101 · 136 comments · 8 Years About 4 months ago

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not sure how a bezel free design will make actually hand-held use better. My iPhone Air without a case is often annoying due to accidental inputs from general handling. If I cup the phone in my palm, the folds in my skin occasionally touch the edge of the screen and cause errant inputs, especially while picking up or moving. And I am a thin person.

Perhaps better false input detection is needed. Else, I guess a case will be mandatory for future bezel free designs.

brianus · 225 comments · 20 Years About 4 months ago

atomic101 said:

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not sure how a bezel free design will make actually hand-held use better. My iPhone Air without a case is often annoying due to accidental inputs from general handling. If I cup the phone in my palm, the folds in my skin occasionally touch the edge of the screen and cause errant inputs, especially while picking up or moving. And I am a thin person.

Perhaps better false input detection is needed. Else, I guess a case will be mandatory for future bezel free designs.

I'm guessing the edges and sides won't be treated as normal screen areas accessible to all applications. Visually they'll make them appear to extend and blend, but in terms of touch input they'd probably be controlled by the OS, like the menu bar on Macs. They would likely have to replicate the volume and "action" buttons in software (and I could see them getting creative with this and other inputs since the buttons would be virtual), but those areas should be otherwise inert lest the user constantly mess with things just by holding the phone.

i wonder how far back the screen is edges would extend - obviously it couldn't go too far into the back side because of the camera module and magsafe but even a little bit could look quite cool when you're holding it.

mattinoz · 2826 comments · 11 Years About 4 months ago

brianus said:

atomic101 said:

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not sure how a bezel free design will make actually hand-held use better. My iPhone Air without a case is often annoying due to accidental inputs from general handling. If I cup the phone in my palm, the folds in my skin occasionally touch the edge of the screen and cause errant inputs, especially while picking up or moving. And I am a thin person.

Perhaps better false input detection is needed. Else, I guess a case will be mandatory for future bezel free designs.

I'm guessing the edges and sides won't be treated as normal screen areas accessible to all applications. Visually they'll make them appear to extend and blend, but in terms of touch input they'd probably be controlled by the OS, like the menu bar on Macs. They would likely have to replicate the volume and "action" buttons in software (and I could see them getting creative with this and other inputs since the buttons would be virtual), but those areas should be otherwise inert lest the user constantly mess with things just by holding the phone.

i wonder how far back the screen is edges would extend - obviously it couldn't go too far into the back side because of the camera module and magsafe but even a little bit could look quite cool when you're holding it.

If they could roll the screen around one edge they could make that edge the controls and a notification area if the device is in a full case.

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