Samsung hinders bezel-less Apple iPhone plans

Apple may not be able to launch a bezel-less iPhone in 2026 due to Samsung Display. The company has previously requested Samsung and LG to develop a 0-bezel OLED for iPhone between 2025 and 2026.

Sources citing Korea’s TheElec revealed that Apple would not be able to launch a bezel-free iPhone in 2026 as Samsung faces challenges. The launch timeframe may be pushed due to insufficient technological development to completely eliminate bezels.

Samsung and LG Display are reportedly developing bezel-less OLED at Apple’s request. The timeline for mass production is still unclear, while Apple initially planned to launch a bezel OLED iPhone between 2025 and 2026.

How Samsung can overcome technical challenges:

• Develop technologies like thin film encapsulation (TFE) for protecting OLED from moisture and oxygen
• Optical clear adhesive (OCA) technology for bonding when laminating with transparent double-sided adhesive films

At the K-Display Business Forum last August, a Samsung Display official stated, “To achieve zero bezel, we need to increase the light transmission rate of UPC to over 50% and optimize the pixel structure,” adding that “3D lamination, edge brightness control, etc., are technical challenges.”

Samsung Display is a leader in display innovations but Apple’s requirements need time to be achieved. The iPhone maker wants to maintain the flat display and angular design of existing iPhones while achieving a zero bezel display.

This involves designing the display to flow down the side of the product, similar to the display currently used on the Apple Watch. In some industry circles, this is described as needing to be implemented in a ‘pebble shape’.

One industry insider stated, “For Apple to launch a zero bezel OLED iPhone in 2026, discussions with domestic [Korean] panel manufacturers should have already been concluded, but they are still ongoing.”