Apple's upcoming iPhone 17e is expected to feature thinner display bezels while retaining the iPhone 14-based OLED display used in the 16e, according to a new report from The Elec.
See also: Apple showcases iPhone 17 Pro's Vapor Chamber cooling
According to supply chain sources, the Korean report says that BOE will again produce the majority of the displays for the second generation of Apple's more affordable "e" model, with Samsung Display and LG Display supplying the rest. However, the report does not claim that the iPhone 17e will feature Dynamic Island, as previously rumored.
In August, Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station claimed that the iPhone 17e would get upgrades including Dynamic Island and the A19 chip. The current iPhone 16e features a notch at the top of the display, similar to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, as well as the A18 chip . Apple introduced Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
As it stands, the thinner bezels are more believable than the claims that the device will get Dynamic Island. Apple could reduce the bezels without changing the display itself, as the size of the bezels is mainly determined by the bezel and how tightly the display fits into the chassis.
If Apple reuses the mass-produced OLED display from the iPhone 14 to keep costs down, it could still refresh the device's look by tweaking the bezels and reducing the bezels around the display. It's the kind of upgrade that would offer a noticeable design improvement without adding much to the manufacturing cost.
See also: China Apple: Increased sales due to iPhone 17
Dynamic Island, however, is more difficult to implement. Apple can't just add the feature to an older display with a notch. The pill-shaped cutout requires a redesign of the TrueDepth camera layout, revised sensor placement, and an updated display bezel.
Adopting Dynamic Island would mean ditching many of the components and manufacturing efficiencies that Apple is reportedly trying to reuse for the 17e. The introduction of new tooling and redesigned sensor modules would seem to negate the cost-saving strategy that defines Apple’s “e” line. Keeping the notch in the second version also differentiates the lower-cost device from Apple’s premium flagship iPhone 17 models.
Today's report also supports claims that the iPhone 17e will retain a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. BOE has yet to produce reliable low-temperature polycrystalline silicon oxide (LTPO) panels for the iPhone 17 models, but it can produce low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT panels, which the iPhone 16e uses. LTPS panels cannot support the variable refresh rate that the iPhone 17 models feature.
See also: The iPhone 16e appears to have 'failed' just like the iPhone Air
Reliable sources like Ming-Chi Kuo, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and The Elec agree that the iPhone 17e is scheduled to launch early next year.
