As the days for the release of the new iPhone model draw ever closer, we’re still wondering exactly what we’ll be gifted with in terms of features and design. What we’ve been led to believe so far is that the new model will have a radical redesign including new sizes, facial recognition and faster charging but the most recent leak from MacRumors has claimed that one change in particular may no longer be going ahead.
According to this leak, Apple have now scrapped all plans to release a curved OLED display. This news comes from IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam, who stated “We anticipate Apple will adopt a flat implementation of OLED design on their special iPhone model, which is analogous to the current 2.5D glass design.” Disappointing news for the many of us who hoped that Apple would be following the look of Samsung’s ‘Edge’ displays but instead Lam said “Much like the recently announced LG G6, we anticipate a [flat] touchscreen with a new longer aspect ratio design to take advantage of higher coverage area of the iPhone in its entirety.”
This may not be such bad news, however. The curved displays have often been criticized for their ‘style over substance’ aspect which makes the curved edges of the interface often look warped and can often lead to accidental touch input in apps. To address these issues, Apple would probably have to work on palm rejection technology, something which we believe has not yet been formulated for the new release. It wouldn’t only have to be Apple who worked on these changes, either. App developers would have to keep the new curved displays in mind.
In terms of the structural integrity of curved display phones, it’s been suggested that bending and screen damage could occur if the phone is dropped even with a case, as these would not be able to protect the sides of the device that is also part of the overall display. Whatever Apple decides, what we do know is that the new phone will absolutely be the most expensive one yet.