The iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra are coming in less than two weeks, but rumors about the anniversary “all-glass” iPhone 20 Pro are already ramping up with some big claims. Apple is reportedly adapting part of the iPhone Air manufacturing process to make new quad-curved displays, which should be the secret sauce of the greatest iPhone redesign since the iPhone X.
If a loud groan is the most subtle reaction you can muster when you hear about a quad-curved display, you’re not alone. Where an “all-display iPhone” sounds intriguing, a return to an idea even Samsung dropped years ago could be Apple’s most baffling move in ages.
A new concept phone from Tecno, a Chinese manufacturer few people in the US have even heard of, makes things look even worse for Apple. After teasing the Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone, the company sent one to YouTuber MKBHD, which revealed the prototype is real and showed off the the necessary technical prowess.
Tecno’s zero mm bezel phone is bad news for Apple because it looks better than any curved display I can imagine. This is also why I have a couple of recommendations for Apple.
Please, don’t make a quad-curved iPhone 20
The iPhone 20 may look something like this. | Image by Ice Universe on X
Nobody has ever asked for an “all display” phone, and this idea has never worked all that well. Curved displays were most prominently featured on the Galaxy S7 Edge, which looked great, but was a nightmare to use. While later models improved the user experience with curved displays, their main issues remained largely unsolved.
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Having glass on the edges makes phones less durable, leads to unpleasant reflections, and makes daily use less enjoyable. My biggest gripe with even slightly curved displays has always been the inevitable accidental touches, especially when trying to reach the far end of the screen with my thumb. Maybe I’m holding phones wrong, but I couldn’t evade my palm touching the display and practically blocking me from doing whatever I wanted my thumb to do.
Finally, adding protective cases to devices with curved displays either defeats the idea of the curves or doesn’t protect the phone all that much. Either way, flat displays don’t have any of these issues, which is probably why they quickly returned as the predominant design idea across the smartphone industry.
Unless Apple is touched by the gods and finds a solution for all this, it would be best not to launch an expensive phone with a quad-curved display.
If you want an all-display design, just copy Tecno
Tecno's device looks quite nice. | Image by Tecno
Like MKBHD noted in his video, the whole idea of a bezel-less display is questionable, but if there’s a less bad way to do it, it’d be with Tecno’s design. This could be the solution to the durability issues, accidental touches, and the unpleasant reflections seen on curved displays.
Even more importantly, this could allow Apple to continue using the design language of some of its most successful models, like the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 17. Such an iPhone would look stunning, especially compared to the poorly aged tech vibes oozing from every iPhone 20 render we’ve seen so far.
What kind of display would you prefer for your next phone?
Tecno’s phone is a prototype of a concept design, so Apple could still improve it and make it even more practical and good-looking. I’d still think twice before buying a bezel-less iPhone, but this type of “all-display” phone could actually work.
A refresh is still a good idea
As skeptical as I am about curved displays, I am also curious about an all-display phone that doesn’t repeat mistakes we’ve seen in the past. I’m not sure that Apple can fix them all, but if there’s a good moment for something truly different and innovative to change how smartphones look, it must be an anniversary iPhone.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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