Apple's next 6.1-inch iPhone with LCD display to have smaller bezels

[Greg S]

Bottom line: Improvements in LCD backlighting technology are enabling displays to have even thinner bezels. Although LCD displays will still have more border required than pricier OLED panels, inexpensive smartphones will benefit from smaller bezels.

As Apple's next refresh of iPhones nears, suppliers are readying higher volumes of components. The latest discovery from optoelectronics company Nichia is that Apple's LCD model iPhones will have slimmed down bezels. As the world's largest supplier of LEDs, its no surprise that Apple is also one of their customers.

Current generation LTPS-LCD displays found in smartphones are using 0.4t LEDs. This size of chip requires a 4mm to 4.5mm bezels so that proper backlighting is provided. Nichia's 0.3t LEDs intended for the next iPhone with LCD display allow bezels to be reduced to between 2mm to 2.5mm.

Nichia has been working on improving the accuracy and stability of their 0.3t LEDs used for side view backlighting since the beginning of this year. The company's entire production capacity of 0.3t LEDs is reserved for Apple nearly through the end of this year.

Even though Apple's large order from Nichia has booked their manufacturing capabilities for several months, other smartphone makers still using LCD displays are not going to have much trouble obtaining similar parts. Several other companies located in Taiwan and China are now able to produce the same size of LED.

Apple is expected to start trial production runs of the latest iPhone this month. Following trials, low-volume production will start in August shortly followed by mass production once all systems are verified to be working.

As better OLED panels are arriving from Samsung and LG that offer completely bezel-free possibilities at slowly decreasing prices, there may not be a long term need for bezel-free LCD panels.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/75452-apple-next-61-inch-iphone-lcd-display-have.html

 

[m4a4]

How about give me a reliable phone (out of the box) where the screen won't break from me being a little clumsy? I swear, Apple (and some Android phone makers) likes the fact that the screens are easier to break...

Edit: I should've been clearer:
No, I'm not personally clumsy (there always could be accidents though). I haven't broken a phone screen yet over the many years I have owned a phone.
Also I should've said "purposefully makes the screens easier to break every year...".

 

[gusticles41]

How about give me a reliable phone (out of the box) where the screen won't break from me being a little clumsy? I swear, Apple (and some Android phone makers) likes the fact that the screens are easier to break...

Phone repair is a huge business. Especially when the manufacturer blocks 3rd party screens/parts.

 

[m-tec]

How about give me a reliable phone (out of the box) where the screen won't break from me being a little clumsy? I swear, Apple (and some Android phone makers) likes the fact that the screens are easier to break...

You could just buy a product more suitable for your needs (but clearly you won't), rather than something made of glass if your clumsy? there are rugged phones out there. If you don't buy a suitable device, that is more a reflection on you than the phone maker. They have done their job and suckered you in and got your money. If you can't look after it, that's your problem.
You could be careful with your new pretty and fragile new piece of tech, but you probably won't.
You could put it in a case for protection, but you probably won't.


I've had my plastic Samsung S4 mini in a tpu gel case for 4 1/2 years without a screen protector, I've dropped it dozens of times even when out cycling, yet I've not even got a mark on the screen.

 

[m4a4]

You could just buy a product more suitable for your needs (but clearly you won't), rather than something made of glass if your clumsy? there are rugged phones out there. If you don't buy a suitable device, that is more a reflection on you than the phone maker. They have done their job and suckered you in and got your money. If you can't look after it, that's your problem.
You could be careful with your new pretty and fragile new piece of tech, but you probably won't.
You could put it in a case for protection, but you probably won't.

I've had my plastic Samsung S4 mini in a tpu gel case for 4 1/2 years without a screen protector, I've dropped it dozens of times even when out cycling, yet I've not even got a mark on the screen.

I posted early in my morning, but made it clearer. Thanks for the unnecessary and dumb assumptions though (y)

Otherwise, there is fault on the manufacturers for making phones as fragile as they do. It's called "quality".

 

[ChrisH1]

A smaller bezel, woo-hoo, tie down the hogs 'n feed 'em grits, new iPhone for me for sure.

... do they even do polls for this sort of stuff? I can't believe a whole lot of people really care very much about bezels, everyone I talk to cares about battery life.

 

[m-tec]

I posted early in my morning, but made it clearer. Thanks for the unnecessary and dumb assumptions though (y)

Otherwise, there is fault on the manufacturers for making phones as fragile as they do. It's called "quality".

the fault is the people who buy them. Anyone that buy's a glass backed phone, then complains it's fragile is an ***** (and a poorer one at that! lol).
I agree most modern phones are too fragile, so I refuse to buy one. However people don't look after their expensive and fragile phones. I've used expensive cameras for 30 years and have yet to drop or break one. People need re educating

 

[gusticles41]

the fault is the people who buy them. Anyone that buy's a glass backed phone, then complains it's fragile is an ***** (and a poorer one at that! lol).
I agree most modern phones are too fragile, so I refuse to buy one. However people don't look after their expensive and fragile phones. I've used expensive cameras for 30 years and have yet to drop or break one. People need re educating

I do agree with you - People often forget they're handling a several hundred dollar or more device. But my biggest gripe isn't that devices are fragile...It's the lack of repairability. I can't think of another market where this is the case. Automotive? You have the opportunity to save tons by fixing yourself. Computers? Laptops? More modular and repairable than smartphones, that's for sure. As much as I'd love to just blame the consumer for being careless, the REAL problem is when the user doesn't have a way to fix the device for a reasonable cost.

 

[learninmypc]

I know it'll never happen, but I'd still like to see the day when one can buy an iphone & two apps are on the face, Settings & app store. Clutter the screen with what YOU want, not what they want you to have.