Could Apple be planning a bezel-free 'iPhone 7' for 2016?
A rumor floated in June that Apple was considering a return to glass-on-glass (G/G) or on-cell glass, allowing for a bezel-free device that would be capable of 4K resolutions. According to Patently Apple, that rumor could prove to be true for the 2016 “iPhone 7.”
A supply chain note points out that manufacturers have begun sending samples of the fully laminated G/G technology to both Apple and Corning. Reportedly, Asahi Glass is one of the suppliers involved in the process. The report continues to point out that:
G/G touch panels may also help Apple develop bezel-free smartphones as in-cell touch panels reportedly are struggling with touch sensitivity on the edges. Additionally, in-cell touch panels also make it difficult for vendors to pursue higher resolutions including Ultra HD (4K) due to current bottlenecks.
I’m not sure I can really put much faith in a rumor this far in advance. While I have no doubt that Apple might be testing out new technology for the iPhone 7, the company is known to try different approaches and discard them if they don’t prove to be practical.
If Asahi Glass is, in fact, providing samples to Apple, it is much to early to take that as a sign of that technology being incorporated into 2016’s model of the iPhone. We don’t even have this year’s generation of the iPhone yet, for crying out loud.
Image credit: Patently Apple