Apple will reduce the size of the iPhone 16 Pro bezels by 33% says "insider"

If you've been a PhoneArena subscriber for some time, you might remember the bezel wars between the iPhone, certain Android phones, and Windows Phone models. After consumers stopped caring so much about bezel size (which happened around the same time we stopped referring to large-screened phones as "phablets"), bezel size has returned to the conversation, at least if the subject matter is the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Both premium 2024 iPhone models will be officially unveiled on Monday, September 9th and a previously leaked schematic showed a bezel size of just 1.15mm for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Samsung Display has admitted that it is working on a product that supports under-display cameras that remove all borders from a phone. This year, Apple is using a technology called Border Reduction Structure (BRS) to reduce the size of the bezels on its pricier handsets.

Bloomberg News' Chief Correspondent focusing on Apple and other major technology, Mark Gurman, is reporting that the bezel size of the iPhone 16 Pro will be approximately 33% smaller than the bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro. In addition, the screen size will be larger as both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max receive a .2-inch increase in screen size to 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch respectively. According to a roadmap released by leaker Ice Universe in July, the iPhone 17 will get an increase in screen size to 6.3 inches and the iPhone Air, rumored to replace the iPhone 17 Plus, is expected to be equipped with a 6.7-inch display.

Over the last two years, the size of the bezels on the iPhone Pro model has been greatly reduced starting with bezels measuring 3.5mm on the iPhone 14 Pro which shrunk to about 2mm on the iPhone 15 Pro; if Gurman is correct with his math skills, we could be looking at a bezel size between 1.3mm and 1.4mm for the iPhone 16 Pro. It should be pointed out that among journalists on the Apple beat, Gurman is considered to have some of the deepest sources inside Cupertino.

While the reduced bezel size might look more appealing to iPhone users, the bezel has several jobs to do. First, it protects the screen from unintended touches which, on a touchscreen, is a pretty important job. They also help cover up the components used for the front-facing camera and provide structural support and protection for a phone's display. While the thinner bezels on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max might make the new iPhone models more attractive, they do increase the chance that you might accidentally open an app.