A future iPhone may lose the bezel completely

When Apple introduced the edge-to-edge display in its iPhone X, the company significantly increased the amount of the front of the iPhone devoted to the display. If Apple’s intentions for a future iteration come true, there could be even less space wasted by non-display elements.

on Monday reports DeElecApple has submitted a request to screen suppliers Samsung Display and LG Display to develop a version of the OLED display that removes the front bezels entirely.

As part of the same request, Apple also wants improvements to its Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) and Under-Panel Camera (UPC) technologies. It also wants a more secure antenna spot on top.

Both Samsung and LG are said to be working on borderless OLED at the request of Apple.

Although Samsung has made progress with curved screens in its smartphones, a technology that has been used by other vendors as well, Apple has explicitly rejected the technology. This was apparently due to the optical distortion of the technique and its increased sensitivity to external shocks.

Creating a flat bezel-less display has its own challenges, such as making the outer film cover thin and some limitations of UPC technology, including making components such as cameras indistinguishable from the rest of the display.

Diluting TFE is challenging because it involves combining inorganic and organic films, the first preventing moisture and oxygen and the second increasing flexibility. Thinning the inorganic film makes it more difficult to prevent moisture, whereas with an organic film the small gaps in the inorganic film make it more difficult to prevent moisture.

A thinner TFE process also makes it more difficult to add the touch electrodes needed to make such a screen work.

It’s unclear when Apple will include such a screen in its product lineup, but it’s likely to take a few cycles to properly surface.

DeElec It has a good track record when it comes to supply chain rumors, and a good track record when it comes to feature claims. It has labeled the rumor as a supply chain rumour, making it more credible than ever.