Apple iPhone 20 rumored with '4-sided bending design' and 'fully bezel-less display'

Apple is reportedly using a new bezel-less display for its 20th anniversary iPhone, with both LG Display and Samsung Display spending hundreds of millions of dollars preparing for the iPhone 20 in 2027.

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In a new report from Korean media outlet Dealsite, we're hearing that Apple would be using a "4-sided bending design" and "monolithic full-screen design" and that in order to achieve this, Apple aims to adopt 4-sided bending technology that won't only cover the front, but all four edges of the display on the iPhone 20.

LG Display's current 4-sided bending display is known to be a different concept from the edge display that Samsung has previously used on its Galaxy smartphones. Samsung used its edge display in previous smartphones, applying curvature to the display concerns, but the Galaxy Note Edge was released over 10 years ago, back in 2014. Curvature was used to the left and right sides to be utilized for edge panels and notification displays.

• Read more: Apple's next-gen iPhone 20 in 2027: new design with curved glass edges all round
• Read more: Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027: all-screen design, no bezels, under-display camera

But, the industry expects that this differs from the full-screen display that Apple has envisioned, and in order to implement a 4-sided bending full screen, a process to bend the panel circuits in the bezel area is needed, and the Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE), which blocks moisture and oxygen from entering the OLED panel, must also be much thinner.

Not only that, but technologies required for full-screen use, with things like embedded Face ID and Under Display Camera (UDC) which places the camera under the panel, must also be met. It's reported that Apple requested Samsung Display and LG Display to develop full-screen iPhone displays in 2023.

LG Display's consideration of a $300 million USD investment is also looked at as part of the preparation work required to implement the new 4-sided bending design. Dealsite reports that the since it is a different method from existing processes, the line structure needs to be significantly modified. There are also reports circulating that LG Display has already allocated a certain volume from Apple.

An industry official added: "Since it is a new technology different from the past, producing 4-sided bending displays requires significant modifications to existing lines. For this reason, the investment scale is bound to be large, and I also hear talk that LG Display has been allocated about 10 lines from Apple".

On the Samsung Display side of the news, it has been "relatively quiet" regarding its capabilities on the 4-side bending displays for Apple, which in some circles is interpreted as Samsung Display concentrating on exclusively supplying Apple with foldable OLED panels for its upcoming foldable iPhone in 2026, with an estimated initial shipping volume of foldable iPhones to be around 3 to 5 million units next year.