Is iOS 26 hinting at a bezel-free iPhone?

Veteran app developer Craig Hockenberry of The Iconfactory believes that Apple's new Liquid Glass design language in iOS 26 could hint at a major hardware redesign for future iPhones.

This was reported by Mac Rumors.

Liquid Glass in iOS 26 — could be the beginning of bezel-free iPhone?

Hockenberry suspects that Liquid Glass is preparing developers for significant future hardware changes. While updating his apps for iOS 26, he noticed a clear pattern in Apple's design requirements: "You never want a control or container that touches the edge of the screen".

This requirement is reminiscent of iOS 11's safe area insets, which seemed unnecessary until the introduction of the iPhone X in 2017 with its notch and home indicator instead of a home button. Hockenberry believes that the similar requirement in Liquid Glass indicates that Apple is laying the groundwork for devices with "wraparound" screens that use flexible OLED technology to seamlessly disappear into the physical edge.

This theory is plausible, given recent reports about Apple's plans for the iPhone's milestone anniversary in 2027. The Korean publication ETNews claims that Apple is developing "four-edge bending" displays that would wrap around all sides of the device, creating a bezel-free design.

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