Apple launched the iPhone 10 in 2017, and it was the first smartphone in the company’s portfolio with super slim side bezels and a relatively thick notch at the top to hide the selfie camera and face IDs. It was also the first iPhone to get rid of the home button on the display that doubled as a fingerprint scanner. This design remained more or less similar until last year when Apple introduced the iPhone 14 Pro series. The company changed the notch design and we got something that Apple calls a “dynamic island.” It appears that will also be a thing of the past soon, and we will finally get an iPhone with no notch and zero bezels for an edge-to-edge display experience.
According to Leakster Ice Universe via the South Korean publication, The Elec, Apple is working with Samsung and LG to design a bezel-less, notch-less display. The company will continue to use an OLED display, which has been used since the iPhone 12 series. The report adds that Apple wants to keep using flat displays, unlike many Android rivals using curved displays on their mid-budget offerings. It also means that a bezel-less iPhone would be like a large glass slab on your hand that could lead to some accidental touches.
The report highlights that Apple plans to place the camera and essential sensors beneath the display, similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Achieving a bezel-less screen requires solving thin film encapsulation (TFE) and under-panel camera (UPC) technologies. TFE protects the OLED from moisture and oxygen. Although bezel-less smartphones are not new, mainstream players haven’t widely adopted this technology in their commercial units. In 2021, Xiaomi showcased a concept smartphone featuring Quad Curved Waterfall Display tech, enveloping the edges with the display, creating a fully immersive look.
Launch details about the notch-less, bezel-less iPhone remain unclear, though we can expect it might take another year for Apple to go for this particular design. Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series in September this year. As per multiple leaks, Apple will retain the same display sizes for all four iPhones in the series — 6.1 inches (iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro) and 6.7 inches (iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max). However, all the new phones this year are expected to feature a dynamic island notch that adjusts size according to the notification.
It is also possible that Apple is testing a notch-less, bezel-less display internally, and it may not come to a commercial unit for many years.