The highly anticipated 20th anniversary iPhone is inching closer to production, and it's set to revolutionize the smartphone market with its all-screen display. But here's where it gets controversial: Apple's latest iPhone is rumored to feature a bezel-free design, which could be a game-changer for the tech industry. This innovative design, achieved through a four-sided bending OLED panel, will push the boundaries of what's possible in smartphone technology. While LG Display is actively pursuing orders for equipment to manufacture the screen, Samsung Display is said to be more cautious, adding an intriguing layer of competition to the mix. The display will bring a true all-screen design to the iPhone model, allowing the screen to go around the edges on four sides. This concept was first demonstrated by the Galaxy Note Edge in 2014, which had the screen expand to the side of the smartphone, providing extra notification indicators to the user. For Apple's implementation, this could give the effect of there not being an edge bezel for the display at all. However, creating Apple's ideal screen design is tougher to manufacture, requiring a process to bend the panel circuit and an even slimmer version of the thin film encapsulation (TFE) that protects the OLED panel from moisture and oxygen. The difficulty is also ramped up by needing to accommodate an under-display camera to handle Face ID, which could give the appearance of a full-screen iPhone display that lacks any cut-outs or embellishments, like the Dynamic Island, ruining the appearance. The 20th anniversary iPhone has been a topic of much speculation, with rumors suggesting it would arrive in 2026 with the iPhone 18. However, development issues meant that the display had to wait for another year, seemingly by happy accident, coinciding with the approximate timeline for a 20th-anniversary model's release. The under-screen Face ID rumors have also persisted, though it has been rumored to arrive earlier in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models. The change in display would also necessitate using a different chassis, which could be an all-glass design for the model. There's even been claims about the actual launch timing, with one analyst believing that the 20th-anniversary iPhone would arrive in the first half of 2027, closer to the actual anniversary date of the launch. The same source also believes that Apple could skip the iPhone 19 name to capitalize on the milestone nature of the number 20.
