New rumors surfaced today that Apple has invested billions in new coating technology for future iPhone displays. The technology is supposed to make future iPhone displays “more scratch-resistant” and add a new anti-glare layer, but it won't be ready for the iPhone 16 this year.
iPhone 17: rumors about a new display
The rumor comes from the Instant Digital account on Weibo , who previously shared precise information about upcoming iPhone announcements. Apple has reportedly developed hardware that adds an “ultra-hard” anti-glare layer to the iPhone display that is also more scratch-resistant than before.
The technology is rumored to have only recently been transferred to Apple's supply chain partners in China. This suggests that it won't be ready for the iPhone 16 launch in a few months, and Apple is instead planning to debut the iPhone 17 series in 2025.
Full hearing (translation from Chinese):
Apple has spent billions on coating equipment in Japan that has been outsourced to China's supply chain, but the iPhone 16 series can't keep up. The outer glass of the iPhone 17 series will be coated with a super-hard [anti-glare] layer. It can be said that the iPhone 17 series will be more scratch resistant than you think.
Currently, the iPhone display uses what Apple calls Ceramic Shield, which first debuted with the iPhone 12 in 2020. Ceramic Shield was created by Apple and Corning, which received funding through the Apple Advanced Manufacturing Fund.
Best comment from UltraXcX
Very useful update, it’s just a shame it won’t be available ready this year. I've seen the S24's display and the coating on its display is everything it's cracked up to be.
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What the new rumors describe today is similar to Corning's Gorilla Glass Armor, which debuted earlier this year with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Our friends at 9to5Google described it as “the first really big update we've seen in a while” to smartphone glass. Gorilla Glass Armor reduces reflection by up to 75% and provides additional protection against scratches and other damage.
Given the existing partnership between Apple and Corning, it's likely that we'll see some aspects of Gorilla Glass Armor appear on the iPhone display at some point. But today's rumors have to be believed that this may not happen until the iPhone 17 launches next year.
(hi MacRumors)
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