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sulpfiction

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 16, 2011
3,075
603
Philadelphia Area
Serious question. We've all seen mockups of devices with screens that go from edge to edge with no bezel whatsoever. Can this be done in the real world?
 

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,302
271
You'd accidentally press the screen all the time. Need a bezel even if it's small.
Not necessarily - a smaller bezel (which would also qualify as an edge-to-edge display), would be sufficient.

It will simply cost more to create an edge-to-edge display and produce it without any flaws.
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
Not necessarily - a smaller bezel (which would also qualify as an edge-to-edge display), would be sufficient.

It will simply cost more to create an edge-to-edge display and produce it without any flaws.

I don't know about you, but when I hold my phone the skin in my thumb area slightly spills onto the side bezel. With an edge to edge display, this would register a touch.

My hands aren't fat before you ask :p
 

JAT

macrumors 603
Dec 31, 2001
6,473
124
Mpls, MN
Not necessarily - a smaller bezel (which would also qualify as an edge-to-edge display), would be sufficient.

It will simply cost more to create an edge-to-edge display and produce it without any flaws.

"Qualify"?? Either a screen reaches the edge of a phone or it doesn't. This is not a subjective question.

And why would it cost more? A bit more R&D perhaps. They are doing R&D all the time, anyway.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
I don't know about you, but when I hold my phone the skin in my thumb area slightly spills onto the side bezel. With an edge to edge display, this would register a touch.

My hands aren't fat before you ask :p

I am sure there can be ways around this. Perhaps not registering touch initiated from the edges of the display, as one example I can think of.
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
I am sure there can be ways around this. Perhaps not registering touch initiated from the edges of the display, as one example I can think of.

Probably. Anything would need extensive testing before being released though and the pros and cons would have to be weighed up. Some apps use gestures initiated from the edge of the screen, for example. The notification bar is one such example. I know that's from the top, but it's one such example.
 

sulpfiction

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 16, 2011
3,075
603
Philadelphia Area
Yeah, I'm talking TRUE edge to edge. No bezel at all.

I wasn't thinking about registering false touches from lack of a bezel. That would be annoying.
 

Technarchy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
Two issues:

Accidental multitouch headaches

Structural integrity and shock resistance
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
Probably. Anything would need extensive testing before being released though and the pros and cons would have to be weighed up. Some apps use gestures initiated from the edge of the screen, for example. The notification bar is one such example. I know that's from the top, but it's one such example.

Like I said, just an idea. I might try and come up with more ideas if I was paid to do so, but alas. I am sure they could figure something out.
 

JAT

macrumors 603
Dec 31, 2001
6,473
124
Mpls, MN
But this excuse was already used when they had antenna issues. Maybe they will give us an "anti-touch" bumper to compensate? ;)
How would it not get in the way visually?

It really is simple physics. If we were tree frogs, edge-to-edge would be possible with our suction-cup fingers. But we aren't. So we need to have some portion of grip on the front of the phone to hold it.

Also, tree frogs don't like cellphones. They still prefer pagers.
 

ThatsMeRight

macrumors 68020
Sep 12, 2009
2,302
271
"Qualify"?? Either a screen reaches the edge of a phone or it doesn't. This is not a subjective question.

And why would it cost more? A bit more R&D perhaps. They are doing R&D all the time, anyway.
It is in some way subjective. Displays without bezels simply do not exist yet (because, for example, you need space for the LEDs, or for the structure, or delineation).

And yes, it would cost more. A display without almost no bezel (as I said, there must be some sort of a bezel) costs more to produce (it's more difficult and it causes more production defects). The component cost also will be higher.

----------

I don't know about you, but when I hold my phone the skin in my thumb area slightly spills onto the side bezel. With an edge to edge display, this would register a touch.

My hands aren't fat before you ask :p
I understand what you mean, but the bezel could be thinner and still no touch would be registered.
 

JAT

macrumors 603
Dec 31, 2001
6,473
124
Mpls, MN
It is in some way subjective. Displays without bezels simply do not exist yet (because, for example, you need space for the LEDs, or for the structure, or delineation).

And yes, it would cost more. A display without almost no bezel (as I said, there must be some sort of a bezel) costs more to produce (it's more difficult and it causes more production defects). The component cost also will be higher.
Ok, that's all possible of course, but how do you know if nobody has made one?

It's also possible that it wouldn't be any different. As I understand the iPhone manufacturing process (capacitive parts attached to screen, then the combined assembly attached to phone), I really don't see any significant additional costs that would be incurred. There will be startup costs associated with a new phone regardless: training on new processes for people, new machines for parts production, etc.
 

sulpfiction

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 16, 2011
3,075
603
Philadelphia Area
I would think if we saw bezel-less displays anywhere it would be on TV's first. And since they don't really exist, I would think there is more to it then just registering false touches, etc. Samsungs 8000 series comes pretty close to it, but not quite.
 

noteple

macrumors 68000
Aug 30, 2011
1,505
523
Hardware wise not a problem, costly but can be done

Digitizers tech (multitouch ) can be adjust to ignore finger wrap at edges.

Oh but where to put the speaker, camera, and sensors?

When flexible and layered transistor display tech becomes common place then maybe.

Both are at odds (including cost) with the higher resolution bandwagon of today
 

Sedrick

macrumors 68030
Nov 10, 2010
2,596
26
If you've seen the tear down of the iPhone 4, you'd see that are components under the screen (including the phone frame). There's just no room to make it edge to edge.

This is all besides the point though. Increasing the screen width-wise would result in the loss of 'retina' resolution, so Apple won't do it.

(I'll dance in the streets if Apple proves me wrong though!)
 

vistadude

macrumors 65816
Jan 3, 2010
1,423
1
It would be hard to hear if the earpiece were not on the screen side. Sensors could be integrated into another layer of the glass though. I think it could work for an iPod touch.
 

dccorona

macrumors 68020
Jun 12, 2008
2,033
1
"Qualify"?? Either a screen reaches the edge of a phone or it doesn't. This is not a subjective question.

And why would it cost more? A bit more R&D perhaps. They are doing R&D all the time, anyway.

i'd imagine that it wouldn't be the screen itself that were tricky or expensive to produce, but rather the casing. You couldn't really mount the screen with anything aside from maybe some glue on the back...it'd have to be sandwiched from the front and back. Even a nearly indistinguishable bezel is required to support the screen from the side. The metal bar around the outside could do this, in theory, but it'd be tricky to design one that can actually support the screen properly.
 

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
As we gradually approach Q4, the time frame that's been discussed as a possible release date, the rumored mockups get uglier. I truly wonder where Ives is. I've yet to see any hint of an upcoming model that appears like his work.

If I surmise there's a purpose behind these ugly ducklings, then perhaps when it matters most we'll see what Apples really introducing at some future event. If Ives has his way as he typically does, these mockups will be but a bad dream. :)
 
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