iPhone 15 Pro Max may have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone ever

A well-known Samsung leaker who mainly deals in Galaxy handset leaks claims that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone around. That’s a design detail that might not seem to matter in 2023, considering that smartphones have generally had the same design for a few years. But if it’s accurate, the leak indicates that recent iPhone 15 design rumors might be accurate.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the latest in a long series of iPhones with thin bezels. The 2017 iPhone X shocked the industry with its all-screen design and uniform bezels surrounding the screen. The notch was the only exception. It was a large bezel that was necessary to house the Face ID sensors, speaker, and selfie camera.

Almost all Android vendors copied the iPhone X design that year. But most phones featuring notches at the top also came with large “chins” on the bottom. The iPhone X’s uniform thin bezel was difficult to reproduce for several years. Back then, we cared about bezel thickness and the bottom “chin.”

But in recent years, all Android phones have the exact same display design: A hole-punch display with thin bezels all around. The only noteworthy variation comes from the iPhone, which features a traditional notch or the newer Dynamic Island.

The bezel thickness isn’t identical between devices, but we’ve reached a point where it shouldn’t matter. It’s small enough that it seems uniform on most phones. But Samsung leaker Ice Universe regularly addresses bezel thickness, and he did the same with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

According to the well-known leaker, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s bezel will be just 1.55mm compared to the Xiaomi 13’s 1.81mm bezel.

If the figure is accurate, we’d expect the iPhone 15 Pro’s bezel to be about the same size. The iPhone 14 Pro has a 2.17 mm bezel.

We’ll note that Ice Universe shared CAD files recently that may reveal the actual dimensions of the iPhone 15 Pro. Those files indicate the phone will have a slightly smaller camera bump on the back. They also deliver good news for iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max battery life: The phones might be thicker than their predecessors.

Apart from the Pro models, rumors say that the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will feature roughly the same design as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. Therefore, they’ll retain those bezels. As for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, they should feature slightly curved edges or a 2.5D glass design. Those curved edges might help Apple reduce the bezel size. But we’re only speculating here.

Again, bezel size shouldn’t matter too much, although we’ll appreciate all the extra display real estate and the sleek look.