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Early rumors ‘cancelling’ Apple’s new display tech look to have been reversed
What’s happened? The iPhone 17 Pro range looks set to pack a less reflective, more scratch-resistant display when launched later this year. The technology was reportedly scrapped around May this year due to production issues, but these have now been resolved by Apple’s suppliers.
Macrumors is reporting that new screen technology, which was first tipped in 2024, is only coming to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, meaning the iPhone 17 and 17 Air will miss out.
This is important because other rivals, such as Samsung, have come out with new anti-reflective layers on smartphones such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This phone uses the new Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 to make screens 75% less reflective in bright sunlight. This new tech from Apple will make the new iPhone Pro range more durable compared to Ceramic Shield, Apple’s previous robust glass-ceramic material, used on recent smartphones from Apple.
Why else do I need to know?
- Apple debuted its Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 12 range in 2020, but was used on all models, not just the Pro and Pro Max.
- The new supplier for this tech is unknown, although Corning manufactured the Ceramic Shield.
- Using the more durable layer on Pro range would help Apple justify the premium price tag of its new higher-end phones.
- While smartphones screens are much more visible in bright sunlight, compared to early models, the new tech would still be a strong reason to upgrade.
- Making displays less reflective can cause images on the screen to look less vibrant, so it will be interesting to see how Apple overcomes this.
OK, what’s next? It’s almost certain that Apple will debut the new iPhone range in early September this year. The new Pro models are also set to include and improved 12GB of RAM and a high-end 48MP telephoto lens (meaning all three rear cameras would pack this resolution), as well as a rectangular camera bump to house the lenses.
