Some iPhone 16 models will feature thinner bezels thanks to Border Reduction Structure (BRS) technology, The Elec reports.
BRS technology allows for a more compact and efficient layout of the screen's underlying circuitry, enabling slimmer bezels without compromising on the display's performance or the device's overall form factor. This requires precise and advanced manufacturing techniques, given the complexity of tighter circuit placement and the need for bending some wiring downwards beneath the bezel.
Display Driver ICs (DDIs), the components at the center of this manufacturing challenge, control the activation and illumination of pixels on the OLED panel. To meet Apple's requirements, LG Display is apparently diversifying its DDI supply chain, bringing on board Novatech from Taiwan alongside its existing supplier, LX Semicon. This move is designed to increase quality control while reducing costs.
It is not clear whether the slimmer bezel technology is destined for the standard iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, or both. It may be more likely to appear singularly in the iPhone 16 Pro models since these devices are expected to see display size increases from 6.1- to 6.3-inches and 6.7- to 6.9-inches, without a substantial increase in overall size. It is also worth noting that Apple reduced the bezels of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max last year significantly more than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Last month, a report coming out of Korea suggested that BIS technology will come to the entire iPhone 16 lineup.
