Last year, a rumor suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro might have a more durable and anti-reflective display technology. As it turns out, that might not be the case after all…
iPhone 17 Pro display upgrades
Last year’s rumor came from the “Instant Digital” account on Weibo and said that Apple had developed equipment that could add a “super-hard” anti-reflective layer to the iPhone’s display that was also more scratch-resistant than before.
Today’s rumor comes via MacRumors, citing an anonymous source “with reliable information.” According to the report, Apple ran into problems scaling the production of the new display coating process. The process for applying this new coating was allegedly “too slow when taking into account the millions of devices Apple produces.”
Gorilla Armor’s antireflective finish (R)
In our coverage of the original rumor, we explained that the technology sounded smilier to Corning’s Gorilla Glass Armor that debuted last year with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Our friends over at 9to5Google described it as the “first truly big upgrade we’ve seen in a while” to smartphone glass. Gorilla Glass Armor reduces reflection by up to 75% and offers added protection against scratches and other damage.
Apple has used a Ceramic Shield technology since the iPhone 12 in 2020, aiming to provide better display durability and scratch resistance. Ceramic Shield was created by Apple and Corning, who has received funding through Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund. When it announced the iPhone 16 last year, Apple touted its latest-generation Ceramic Shield technology, which uses “an advanced formulation that is 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone.”
9to5Mac’s Take
Top comment by Hazen
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has unexpectedly had the strongest display glass of any iPhone I’ve owned. I’d have expected a few more scratches by now but there’s only a small micro abrasion that appears in direct light. More over, I definitely expected my Jet Black Apple Watch Series 10 to show some scratches (having always had an Apple Watch with a sapphire display) and even that is completely devoid of any abrasions. I think whatever they’ve done in the last couple of generations has definitely improved the overall quality of the display glass.
While I’d like to see something like a nano texture display (and have expected it) I think Apple might hide it behind a paywall like an upgraded storage tier (that I don’t need) and if you add that with the cost of the display upgrade itself and the incoming price increases - I think I’ll be waiting all this time to eventually say no to the upgrade anyway because of price. Lol.
I’m hopeful that Apple doesn’t give up on new ways to make the iPhone display both less reflective and more scratch resistant. iPhone displays are more durable than ever against cracking and shattering, but I still find them incredibly easy to scratch.
Given Apple’s close collaboration with Corning over the years, I’d be surprised if some flavor of the Gorilla Glass Armor technology doesn’t make its way to the iPhone at some point. It sounds like that won’t be the case this year, though.
My favorite iPhone accessories:
- Meross Smart Garage Door Opener with HomeKit
- Anker Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-C cable
- Satechi 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station
- Twelve South Plugbug: 4-port fast charger with Find My
- Backbone One Mobile Controller for iPhone
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