03/20 Update below. This post was originally published on March 18
We already know a lot about the iPhone 15 lineup, including a new design for standard models, even bigger cameras, ballistic performance and the end of the road for Lightning. But now they may also be record breakers.
According to a new tweet from respected industry insider Ice Universe, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest “bezel black edge” (aka the black edge between the display and the chassis) of any smartphone.
The leaker says they will measure just 1.55mm, breaking the record set by the Xiaomi 13 (1.81mm). They are also approximately 20% and 30% thinner than the Galaxy S23 and iPhone 14 Pro bezels, respectively.
While the numbers here are small, bezel size is always noticeable because of the continuity break its black edge creates. Below is a scale render created for me by @Hanstsaiz showing how the new bezel will look:
A smaller bezel is more immersive and allows for either a larger screen to be fitted into the same size chassis or a more compact device to be made with the same screen size as its predecessor. Based on recently leaked iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro dimensions, Apple has opted for the latter with slightly more pocket-friendly devices.
The only caveat to this good news is Ice Universe has previously leaked iPhone 15 Pro CADs, which are at odds with others. Notably, though the overall dimensions match, the CADs from Ice Universe show a flatter rear camera, while other renders show Apple’s biggest rear camera to date.
That said, the wider narrative here is fascinating. For many years, Apple was derided for the iPhone’s thick bezels — specifically, the iPhone 6, 6S, 7 and 8 — and the range could be a record breaker. All of which proves the old adage about Apple’s approach to features and products: good things come to those who wait.
03/20 Update: respected leaker Sonny Dickson has contacted me to share more images of the new super-thin iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max bezel alongside an iPhone 15. As the renders already alluded to, the new Pro bezels are stunningly thin and unlike any smartphone I have seen before.
“The screen is curved around the display, so ordinary glass used on the iPhone 15 screen will have a white edge,” Dickson quotes his source as revealing. “The 12 / 13 / 14 series screens are flat with 2Dradians on the edges. But the iPhone 15 screen will change. Its screen edge radian will become 2.5D, so [case makers will] need to make a change to the screen protector.”
Dickson subsequently shared the images to his Twitter account:
The leaker also shared a video with me of the new iPhone 15 Pro Max display, which he has not put on social media and can be viewed below.
It’s a striking new design that will add to the premium look of the phones. Something that will be necessary, given the growing number of reports claiming Apple will introduce significant price hikes.
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