The iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly miss out on a key display upgrade. Apple seems set to skip the planned anti-reflective coating on its next Pro iPhones.
Apple offers a similar nano-texture coating as an optional upgrade on the MacBook Pro lineup.
iPhone 17 Pro to miss out on an anti-reflective display
Samsung shipped its 2024 Galaxy S24 Ultra with a new glass from Corning (Gorilla Glass Armor) with an anti-reflective coating on top. Testing indicates the new glass cuts down on reflections by as much as 75%. More importantly, it led to a massive improvement in daily use, reducing unwanted glares. This year’s Galaxy S25 Ultra uses a newer-gen Corning Gorilla Glass Armor 2 cover glass with similar properties.
Rumors indicated Apple would also equip the iPhone 17 Pro’s display with a similar coating. The company already provides an optional nano-texture coating for the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro’s displays. So, this move would have been a natural progression.
However, a MacRumors report, citing a reliable source, suggests that Apple may have changed its mind now. It seems the company ran into issues in scaling the display coating process, forcing it to take this move.
Unlike MacBooks, Apple sells millions of iPhones every month. The production timelines are a lot tighter and shorter. Given the complexities and time required for the coating process, Apple reportedly scrapped its plan.
Anti-reflective coating could come to a future iPhone
Considering the time and challenges involved, this could explain why Android manufacturers other than Samsung have not yet adopted the anti-reflective coating.
If not the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple may use the coating on future iPhones once the coating process improves further. But this may be a few years away for now. Apple may use a brighter OLED panel on the iPhone 17 Pro to make up for the lack of an anti-reflective coating.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
