Apple's 2017 iPhone May Feature Dual-Curve OLED Display

Though the 2017 iPhone is more than a year away from launching, we're already hearing non-stop rumors about the device due to the major design changes Apple is expected to introduce. The latest rumor, coming from IHS analyst Kevin Wang, suggests the 2017 iPhone will include a dual-curve OLED display that covers the left and right edges of the device.

On Chinese social networking site Weibo (via PhoneArena), Wang said Apple will release a device with sloping edges similar to the Vivo XPlay 5 or the Galaxy S7 Edge.

vivoxplay5

Kevin Wong's exact words are that after Vivo outed the Xplay 5 with its 5.4" OLED screen that slopes to the sides like on the S7 edge, there will be more manufacturers using this technique, including Apple with next year's iPhone.

Apple is already rumored to be using flexible OLED displays for the 2017 iPhone, which will be necessary for any kind of dramatically curved display. It is not clear from Wang's statement how far the display will extend to the edges of the device and whether it will be a subtle curve for design purposes or a functional wraparound display as Samsung uses in its Galaxy Edge devices. The Galaxy Edge's wraparound display features side buttons and alerts accessible when the phone is face down.

Wang does not offer details on where he is sourcing his information from, but it is presumably coming from the Asian supply chain and Apple's myriad manufacturing partners. Supply chain information can be difficult to interpret at times and Wang does not have a well-known track record, but he has shared some semi-accurate information on the release of the iPhone SE. Earlier this week, Wang said the iPhone 7 will have 32GB as minimum storage tier.

Apple has reportedly secured 5.8-inch OLED displays from Samsung, and a previous analyst prediction has suggested that a display of that size could perhaps be used to wrap around the edges of a 5.5-inch iPhone, speculation that agrees with Wang's prediction.

iphonewraparounddisplay-800x511
Other rumors about the 2017 iPhone, which may be called the "iPhone 8" instead of the traditional "iPhone 7s" because of the changes expected, include an edge-to-edge bezel-free display with built-in Touch ID functionality, no home button, and a glass body.

An edge-to-edge display that extends upwards towards the top and bottom of the device, as has been rumored, does not seem to mesh with rumors of a wraparound display, leaving a lot of questions about the actual display we'll see in the 2017 iPhone. As the 2017 launch date creeps closer, we'll undoubtedly learn more about the device, giving us a clearer picture of the changes Apple is implementing.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
ios 26 call holding

iOS 26 Beta is Hiding a New Ringtone — Here's What It Sounds Like

Thursday June 19, 2025 7:25 pm PDT by
Apple is hiding a new ringtone within iOS 26. The new ringtone is an alternative version of the existing Reflection ringtone, which has been the default ringtone since the iPhone X was released in 2017. It was discovered within the code for the first developer beta of iOS 26, but it remains hidden, so you will not find it in the list of ringtones available in the Settings app for now. It...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...
General Spotify Feature

Spotify Preparing to Launch Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Tier on iPhone

Thursday June 19, 2025 1:46 pm PDT by
Spotify appears to be gearing up to launch its long-awaited lossless music tier. Chris Messina (via TechCrunch) and Spicetify (via The Verge) spotted new lossless references within the code for Spotify's desktop app and web player. With assistance from Aaron Perris, MacRumors has confirmed that the latest beta of the Spotify app for the iPhone also contains new lossless-related code....
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
Craig Federighi No

John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Wednesday June 18, 2025 8:10 pm PDT by
Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss...

Top Rated Comments

Dilster3k Avatar
118 months ago
R.I.P 2016 iPhone lol

Edit - Seems so gimmicky, much rather prefer eliminating the top and bottom bezels.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexwei Avatar
118 months ago
i just threw up
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Col4bin Avatar
118 months ago
Vivo X Play, shame on your copycat Samsung Galaxy Edge design! (Wonder how Samesung likes it?)

Apple, please don't also copy that barf of a phone design.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
L-U-R-C-H Avatar
118 months ago
Can't innovate, my @ss!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrismail627 Avatar
118 months ago
Apple needs to release this phone THIS YEAR.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
118 months ago
Please Apple, no.

I hate those curved TVs too.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)