Apple is reportedly waiting on Samsung to finish an OLED display that would make a future iPhone look almost entirely bezel-free from the front. The panel bends down the sides of the phone at close to a 90-degree angle, so the display itself becomes the edges of the device.
The claim comes from the Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital, who says Samsung internally calls the technology a “full-surround, full-screen display.” It is a single leaker’s account, so the details are unconfirmed.
The Display Stays Flat While All Four Edges Fold Down Into the Sides
The main display stays completely flat while the OLED panel bends sharply downward on all four edges and corners. That sets it apart from a curved waterfall screen, where the glass rolls over the sides.
The folded sections would take the place of the usual metal or plastic frame. Display wiring and other parts normally hidden behind the bezels could also move around the edges, which is how the black border at the front shrinks to virtually nothing.
The leaker also says the design could make an iPhone without conventional mechanical buttons possible. Xiaomi showed a concept phone in 2021 that looks a lot like this idea.
Three Engineering Problems Are Still Holding Samsung Back
According to the leaker, Apple has been waiting for Samsung to finalize the technology, and several hurdles remain:
- Optical distortion and color shifts around the corners
- Keeping the OLED’s protective encapsulation intact through extreme bends
- Finding places for antennas when every side is covered by the display
Each of these gets harder because the design removes the frame. The folded sections of the display take over the job of the metal or plastic edge, and the antennas have to find a new home once all four sides are screen.
The 20th Anniversary iPhone May Be a Stepping Stone to This Design
This technology is different from the four-sided quad-curved display rumored for the 20th anniversary iPhone, which is expected in 2027. Apple has reportedly pushed back COE and LTPO+ displays for that phone, but a four-sided bending display is still expected. The leaker suggests the anniversary model could be an intermediate step toward the more ambitious full-surround design.
That phone is expected to be the biggest redesign since the iPhone X, as laid out in Apple’s 2027 product roadmap. Samsung Display is also the reported supplier of the iPhone Duo’s folding panel, at about $250 per display, so Apple’s display relationship with Samsung is already deep.
