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2018 iPhone glass panels make their first appearance

So far, we’ve heard many reports of this year’s iPhone line-up, and seen some claimed schematics, along with renders based on them, but a photo posted today claims to give us our first look at actual components from the 2018 iPhones.

They reportedly show the glass front panels, which cover the displays, for all three models: the 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models, with the 6.1-inch LCD model in the middle …

If real, they provide our first real-life look at one key element of this year’s line-up: a lower-cost LCD model which closely resembles the iPhone X design.

Achieving a near-bezel-free display with an LCD screen requires some new technology, but even that isn’t expected to quite match the thin bezels possible with the OLED models.

We’ve already seen renders which give a sense of how the thicker bezels might look on the LCD model, but this photo purportedly shows the real thing.

The photo was tweeted by well-known leaker Ben Geskin.

Geskin also posted new renders based on these, which can be seen below.

As we’ve said before, the difference in bezel thickness is definitely visible when compared side-by-side like this, but it’s likely that many customers will be very happy with something close to the iPhone X design at a substantially lower price. We’ve heard various estimates of the likely starting price of the LCD model, from $7-800 at the high end down to as little as $550.

Our poll shows that only around 13% of you are interested in the LCD phone, but if you are, what’s your view of the bezel size shown here? Good enough, or would you be tempted to pay more for an OLED model to get slimmer ones? Let us know in the comments.


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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