In a nutshell: Apple is expected to switch to an anti-reflective display that's more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield utilized on current-gen iPhones. According to a Chinese leaker on Weibo, Apple's glass of choice for the iPhone 17 will be "super-hard" and "more scratch resistant than you think." The leaker said Apple only recently seeded suppliers with the equipment to apply the new coating, and that it wasn't in place early enough to roll the feature out on the iPhone 16 family due out this fall.
Apple introduced Ceramic Shield, which was developed by Corning, on the iPhone 12 in 2020 and has used it on each new model since.
Samsung's new Galaxy S24 Ultra utilizes a new coating from Corning called Gorilla Armor. According to Corning, it's the toughest, most scratch resistant, and most optically advanced version of Gorilla Glass to date. Could Apple's new glass be based on this same formula?
In related news, Apple is reportedly planning to leverage ultra-thin bezel technology to maximize the screen size of the upcoming iPhone 16.
Korean publication Sisa Journal claims Apple will use Border Reduction Structure (BRS) tech to shrink the iPhone's bottom bezel. It is believed that Apple aimed to utilize the tech on earlier iPhones but excess heat buildup kept it at bay. Advances in heat dissipation technology, however, have reportedly paved the way for the change, which will be rolled out across the entire iPhone 16 lineup later this year.
The iPhone isn't the only device due for a new screen. According to the same Weibo leaker, next-gen iPad Pros will debut with a matte display option for the first time. It could be a variant of the "nano-texture" glass used on the Pro Display XDR and Studio Display, which scatters light to minimize glare and has a special surface to preserve image quality.
Apple's nano-texture glass is harder to clean, however, and thus might not be an ideal fit for a touch-first gadget.
The matte iPad display could also include some degree of blue light blocking tech to help reduce eyestrain caused by staring at digital displays all day. The standard glossy option will remain for buyers that prefer a shinier look, we're told.
Fortunately, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out as Apple is expected to introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models as early as next week.
https://www.techspot.com/news/102337-apple-working-new-display-tech-iphone-ipad.html
