Apple is no longer planning to equip the iPhone 17 Pro models with an anti-reflective display coating, according to a new report.
Apple was said to be planning the upgrade to the display later, that also offered more anti-scratch protection than the latest Ceramic Shield tech on the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Now a MacRumors source brings word that Apple has had problems in “scaling up the display coating process” and, as such, the feature is no longer planned for this year’s best iPhones.
The report says:
“The process for adding the anti-reflective coating to the iPhone display was too slow when taking into account the millions of devices that Apple produces, so even though it was only planned for the Pro models, it still seems that it wasn’t feasible this year.”
MacRumours
That news will be seen a feather in the cap for Samsung, which has offered such technology on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra. Both have Gorilla Glass Armor displays that claim to cut reflections by 75%. The S25 Ultra offers a second generation version of the tech.
Gorilla says: “Gorilla Armor 2’s anti-reflective properties dramatically reduce surface reflections in both indoor and outdoor ambient settings. These properties can enhance the display contrast ratio, delivering an exceptional user experience in various lighting conditions.”
Opinion
The iPhone 17 Pro already looked like it could play second fiddle to the iPhone 17 Air this year and missing out on key, tangible improvements like an anti-reflective display isn’t going to help that equation. It gives Samsung fans some bragging rights too.
