Researchers from Barclays are predicting Apple will release new 5” and 5.8” iPhones next year that have a curved, bezel-free design, MacRumors reports. Citing sources in Apple’s supply chain, the analysts said the move to a borderless design will let the screens of both the iPhone and iPhone Plus “extend vertically as well as horizontally” while allowing the devices to maintain the same overall size as the current models.
While other reports have suggested Apple will be eliminating the home button to expand the iPhone’s screen size, Barclays doesn’t think the home button is going to be replaced by a version embedded inside the screen.
Back in March, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted narrower bezels coming for the next iPhones and even said that a 5.8” iPhone would replace the current iPhone Plus. Kuo has also said Apple is interested in including wireless charging into its designs, a claim repeated earlier this month by Nikkei Asian Review.
Another Nikkei report claimed Apple was working on a curved OLED display design for its “premium” iPhone model next year, to be released alongside 4.7” and 5.5” models with flat screens. Barclays agreed that Apple will likely only be installing the OLED screen in its larger phone, but predicts two models total.
