Apple's bezel-less iPhone for 2026 may be delayed: Technological hurdles abound, Dynamic Island may be scrapped

Apple's bezel-less iPhone for 2026 may be delayed: Technological hurdles abound, Dynamic Island may be scrappedAccording to a report by Fast Technology on December 25th, Apple is actively collaborating with Samsung Display and LG Display to develop a revolutionary bezel-less OLED screen for the iPhone 18 series slated for release in 2026. However, the research and development of this technology faces numerous technical challenges, casting significant doubt on whether this highly anticipated bezel-less iPhone will be launched on schedule

Apple's bezel-less iPhone for 2026 may be delayed: Technological hurdles abound, Dynamic Island may be scrapped

According to a report by Fast Technology on December 25th, Apple is actively collaborating with Samsung Display and LG Display to develop a revolutionary bezel-less OLED screen for the iPhone 18 series slated for release in 2026. However, the research and development of this technology faces numerous technical challenges, casting significant doubt on whether this highly anticipated bezel-less iPhone will be launched on schedule.

Apple's design philosophy for a bezel-less screen isn't simply about removing bezels; it's about achieving a unique visual effect. Unlike Samsung's curved or waterfall screens, Apple aims for a more natural, smoother transition, akin to polished pebbles in a stream, exhibiting soft curves under light refraction. This design philosophy presents even more stringent challenges for screen technology, requiring the maximization of minimizing bezel presence while maintaining display quality.

To achieve Apple's envisioned bezel-less screen, Samsung and LG are intensively working on Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) technology. This technology is crucial for the stability and lifespan of OLED screens. TFE effectively protects OLED screens from moisture and oxygen, extending their lifespan. However, this technology itself presents significant difficulties. Balancing screen thinness with effective shielding from external environmental influences is a major hurdle for Samsung and LG engineers.

Besides TFE technology, the bezel-less design requires a redesign of the OLED screen's edge circuitry. Traditional OLED screen edge circuitry is typically located at the screen's edge. The bezel-less design necessitates bending this circuitry under the screen, posing higher demands on circuit design and manufacturing and presenting significant challenges to the overall screen structure.

Furthermore, antenna space allocation is a critical technical challenge. Within the limited screen space, accommodating complex circuitry while reserving sufficient antenna space requires precise calculation and design. Ingeniously arranging these components while ensuring signal quality and stability is another key issue for engineers to solve.

In addition to the aforementioned technical challenges, signal stability, reliability, and water resistance are also obstacles Apple must overcome in developing its bezel-less iPhone. The bezel-less design places higher demands on the screen's overall structure and sealing, requiring the screen to maintain stable operation under various conditions and boast good water resistance. Solving these technical challenges requires significant time, effort, and may even necessitate breakthroughs in existing technological bottlenecks.

Currently, Apple plans to launch at least one bezel-less model in the 2026 iPhone 18 series. However, given the aforementioned challenges, the likelihood of this bezel-less iPhone launching on schedule remains highly uncertain. Industry insiders generally believe that the probability of a bezel-less iPhone being released in 2026 is low.

Beyond the bezel-less screen, Apple has another significant design goal for its 2026 iPhones: eliminating the Dynamic Island design, retaining only a single camera hole, and hiding Face ID functionality under the screen. This technology also presents immense challenges. Hiding Face ID under the screen requires precise adjustments to screen transmittance and structure while maintaining Face ID accuracy and reliability.

While under-display fingerprint technology is relatively mature, under-display Face ID technology is still under development, with significantly higher technical difficulty than under-display fingerprint technology. Ensuring accurate and fast user identification through Face ID under the screen without affecting display quality is a technological hurdle Apple needs to overcome.

In summary, Apple's iPhone plans for 2026, encompassing both the bezel-less screen and under-display Face ID, face considerable technological challenges. These challenges require not only technological breakthroughs from suppliers like Samsung and LG, but also significant design and process innovations from Apple itself. While Apple's goals are ambitious, the path to achieving them is fraught with challenges. Whether they succeed in 2026 remains to be seen. Currently, the likelihood of the iPhone 18 series featuring these new technologies in 2026 is not high. Technology development and supply chain maturity take time, meaning we may need to wait patiently for some time before experiencing the stunning design of Apple's envisioned future iPhone.