iPhone 17 Will Have an Anti-Reflective Screen and Be More Scratch Resistant

Morrissey Technology – The iPhone 17 series looks like it will get a display upgrade that matches the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The upgrade is in the form of a display that is more scratch-resistant and anti-reflective. Tipster Instant Digital in a post on Weibo claims that the outer glass on the iPhone 17 display will have an anti-coating that is more scratch resistant. The layer is also made anti-reflective so that the screen does not glare and can still be seen under the hot sun.

The equipment to produce this coating has been handed over to Apple’s supply chain in China. But this technology is not ready to be used on the iPhone 16 series, and will only be available for the iPhone 17 series next year.

Currently, the iPhone 15 series has a display protected by a glass-ceramic layer called Ceramic Shield, which is the result of a collaboration between Apple and Corning. Ceramic Shield was first introduced in 2020 with the iPhone 12 series.

When it was first launched, Apple said the Ceramic Shield was four times more durable than the glass on the iPhone 11. Apple claims the Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 15 is much more durable than the glass on other phones.

A few months after the iPhone 15 was released, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra which uses a Gorilla Glass FOR4D Armor layer on its display, which was also developed by Corning. Gorilla Glass Armor can reduce light reflections by up to 75% compared to ordinary glass surfaces and is four times more scratch resistant than competitive protective glass.

It is not yet known whether Apple will use Gorilla Glass Armor for the iPhone 17, but the description matches tipster Instant Digital’s claims. Maybe Apple will use similar technology but with a different name.

Apple and Corning themselves have been collaborating for a long time, and many Apple products use Gorilla Glass. In 2021, Apple invested USD 495 million in capital to support Corning’s research and development, which later resulted in Ceramic Shield technology.