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Apple is reportedly trying to make a bezel-less iPhone, and Samsung might help it achieve that dream. The Cupertino giant has asked Samsung and its compatriot LG to develop bezel-free OLED display panels for future iPhones, the Korean media reports. The plans may not materialize anytime soon, though.
According to The Elec, Apple has tasked Samsung and LG with developing a flat OLED panel with zero bezels. Samsung offered to make a bezel-less curved display but the company rejected it. The iPhone maker doesn’t want to change the iconic design of its phones. Moreover, curved displays are more vulnerable to external shocks than flat panels and can break easily.
Apple’s demand requires the two Korean firms to improve their existing OLED technologies. While they can move the circuit that is currently hidden under the bezels below the display itself, there are other areas that they need to work on. Specifically, Samsung and LG need to improve thin-film encapsulation (TFE) and under-display camera technologies. The outer film encapsulation of the display should be thinner, the report states.
The companies also need to develop secure antenna space without affecting the bezel-less design. These technological obstacles mean the planned bezel-less iPhone may still be several years away. But the idea may not be a far-fetched one. Apple sees it happening someday in the future. It has been gradually reducing the bezels on iPhones in recent years.
This futuristic bezel-less iPhone may feature a full-glass body
Apple’s dream iPhone may not just come with a bezel-less screen. Rumors are that the company wants to develop a unibody glass to make the device look like a piece of glass. It plans to use “a new type of ultra-strong and strong glass,” tipster Ice Universe claims. In their words, “The new iPhone will look like a closed crystal box.” But as said earlier, this iPhone may still be years away.
Of course, Apple isn’t the only company pursuing a bezel-less smartphone. Several firms in the Android space are also pushing to reduce the display bezels. Android phones with an under-display camera have been around for a few years now, though this design hasn’t taken off yet. Display makers need to work out a way to improve the camera quality while simultaneously increasing the pixel density of the display area above the camera. It remains to be seen when we will get our first completely bezel-less smartphone.
