Jony Ive, former chief designer at Apple, envisioned the ultimate iPhone design as “a single slab of glass” devoid of bezels. According to a recent supply chain report, Apple aimed for the iPhone 18 to fulfill this vision, but it now appears that this will not materialize.
The report indicates that Apple’s ambition is to have the entire front of the device serve as a display, seamlessly extending into the phone’s sides…
The ‘Single Slab of Glass’ Concept
Even though Ive is no longer with Apple, the company is still reportedly pursuing his vision of a device resembling a single piece of glass. From a frontal view, there would be absolutely no visible bezels—only the display itself.
The launch of the iPhone X in 2017 marked Apple’s first significant step toward this goal; however, subsequent advancements have been gradual. While bezels have been progressively minimized, they are still quite noticeable.
A complete absence of bezels would necessitate a display that curves around the device’s edges. The Apple Watch somewhat simulates this effect by concealing the bezels beneath a curved glass surface, but Apple’s objective for the iPhone includes having the display actively extend into those curved edges.
Samsung has accomplished this with its Galaxy Edge models, but they still feature noticeable forehead and chin areas.
Apple’s aim is to achieve this effect on all four edges.
iPhone 18 Targeted, But Seems Unlikely
TheElec notes that Apple intended to achieve a zero-bezel phone by 2026, specifically with one model of the iPhone 18, but its display suppliers have faced challenges delivering the required specifications.
Based on Apple’s request, it is known that Samsung Display and LG Display are working on a zero-bezel iPhone organic light-emitting diode (OLED), but the release of a zero-bezel OLED iPhone in 2026 is currently uncertain due to insufficient technological advancement for complete bezel elimination.
An industry representative stated, “If Apple aims to launch a zero-bezel OLED iPhone in 2026, we should have already concluded technical conversations with domestic panel manufacturers, yet we are still in discussions.”
While the fundamental objective is technically achievable today, Apple must navigate several practical hurdles before launching this design:
- Ensuring the junction between curved display and body is waterproof
- Preventing the “magnifying glass effect” typical of curved display edges
- Guaranteeing effective antenna functionality
- Addressing the susceptibility of screen edges to impact damage
It is believed that Apple’s goal for 2026 would still include a punch-hole camera, as the technology required to embed the front camera beneath the display is unlikely to meet Apple’s quality benchmarks by that time, though this remains a long-term plan.
Images: Main Răzvan Băltărețu (CC2.0); Watch Apple; Galaxy Edge 7 9to5Google
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