Sony is tipped to follow Samsung’s lead on building a bezel-free smartphone later this year.
Over the years, we’ve seen phone makers attempting to capitalise on a growing trend for slim-bezel handsets. But introducing a truly bezel-free design has been hampered by certain components. For instance, mounting a fingerprint display beneath glass has been – until recently, anyway – impossible, which means that it needs to be set onto a bezel.
Earlier this year, we saw Samsung shunt its fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone in a bid to introduce a largely bezel-free handset: the Galaxy S8. LG went for a similar design with the LG G6, effectively confirming that such a design is en vogue right now. The design of both phones was well-received, which is why many manufacturers are rumoured to follow suit, Apple included.
Samsung Galaxy S8, with a slim-bezel design
The next manufacturing in line to nab a bezel-free chassis is Sony, which is tipped to be plotting a new Sony Xperia 2017 phone with an all-screen front to launch later this year. That’s according to a post on Chinese social media site Weibo (via AA), which details how a joint venture between display-maker JDI and Sony will result in the production of a ‘Full Active QHD display’ that could occupy the entire front of a phone.
The report also suggests that Sony plans to release this phone at Berlin’s annual IFA technology tradeshow, which is scheduled to take place in the first week of September. Sony has already announced a press conference for the show to take place on August 31, the day before IFA begins, so it’s almost guaranteed that new phones will be announced there at the very least.
Sony Xperia smartphone, with a relatively large bezel
And while we can’t verify the validity of this latest leak, it’s important to note that many of the criticisms levelled against Sony smartphones lately relate to the company’s design staleness. Sony Xperia phones have retained Sony’s ‘omnibalance’ aesthetic for years, so Sony definitely needs to up its design game to win reviewers over – and an all-screen front could be an easy way to do that.
Still, until Sony makes an official announcement on the matter, we can’t say anything for sure. As such, take this latest supposed leak with a pinch of salt – it may be complete rubbish.
Related: Best Android phones
What would you like to see from Sony’s next flagship smartphone? Let us know in the comments.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
