Current iPhones have a bezel around the display
The iPhone 18 may become the first model to be bezel-free, but development of the all-glass iPhone is hitting some snags.
The iPhone, like many other smartphones, offer users a large display but with a small border around the outside. While the bezel has been minimized over the years, it may become a thing of the past by the iPhone 18.
According to sources of TheElec, Samsung Display and LG Display are working on OLED screens that don’t have bezels. Both companies are key members of Apple’s display supply chain, and the work is apparently being performed at Apple’s request.
Multiple report sources said on Tuesday that there are ongoing talks over the display technology. But, while a 2026 introduction of the display was planned, that may not necessarily happen to the expected schedule.
“If Apple wanted to release a zero-bezel OLED iPhone in 2026, it would have to have already concluded technical discussions with domestic panel manufacturers, but they are still in discussions,” one source explained. The continued talks mean that it’s unclear if a 2026 release using the technology will actually happen.
A new screen design and technology
The belief is that Apple wants to use a zero bezel display that maintains the current flat display and angular iPhone design. However, the screen is intended to flow down the sides of the iPhone, in a similar way to the Apple Watch display.
To accomplish this, Samsung Display and LG Display have to create thin film encapsulation (TFE) processes to protect the OLED panel from moisture and oxygen. They also need an optical clear adhesive (OCA) technology for bonding the panel with a clear double-sided adhesive film that works with the curved elements of the display, while maintaining space for other components.
The OCA technology’s development is apparently a stumbling block, due to the existence of distortion issues when viewed from the side. Apple apparently doesn’t want the magnifying glass effect that some curved-edge Samsung smartphones had when using a similar display.
There is also the issue of strength, with the flowing edges introducing weakpoints affected by external impacts.
Other design changes may also impact the development of the new screen, including the possibility of an under-panel camera system, which a Samsung Display official confirmed was being worked on in August. An under-screen Face ID system has previously been rumored about for the iPhone 18.
Previously, it was rumored that Samsung was going to use blue phosphorescent materials in OLED panels to reduce power consumption. The change could result in considerably longer battery life for the iPhone, before taking into account any other performance improvements.
