While iPhone bezels have gotten significantly smaller over the last several years, Apple wants its suppliers to do even more. According to a new supply chain report today, Apple is pushing Samsung and LG to develop technology that would truly make iPhone displays “bezel-less.”
The report comes via The Elec, which says that Apple has requested that LG Display and Samsung Display “develop OLED that removes all iPhone front bezels.”
To do this, Samsung and LG would need to improve various different aspects of the iPhone display hardware, including the thin-film encapsulation and under-panel camera hardware. “It is a technology that still needs time to be applied for mass production,” the report explains.
The report goes on to explain that Apple is opposed to employing the curved edge displays used by Samsung on its flagship smartphones. In Samsung’s case, the company uses a “magnifying glass effect” around the edge of the phone display to make it appear truly bezel-less. Apple, however, has been “reluctant” to use this same approach.
Without applying a curved display like this, it is said that in order to implement the bezel design that Apple wants, it is possible to bend all of the circuits currently in the bezel area under the display. At this time, we need to free up antenna space and solve the interference problem.
Challenges to implement the bezel-less screen include thin film bag (TFE) and underpanel camera (UPC) technology. Product outer thin film bags should be thinner than they are now, and UPCs can be made so that they are not easily distinguished from the rest of the display to expand user immersion.
While these plans are further down the line, Apple is still aiming to significantly reduce the size of the bezel on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Even doing this, however, has led to production issues, particularly for LG. A report last week suggested that the iPhone 15 Pro could face severe supply shortages due to production issues for the new display technology.
Follow Chance: Threads, Twitter, Instagram, and Mastodon
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
