Samsung's latest Galaxy S25 lineup comes with an anti-reflective coating on the display, which does a pretty good job in bright daylight to absorb reflections for a seamless user experience. On the flip side, the current iPhone 16 models are as reflective as glass, reflecting every single beam of light that distorts viewing. However, the iPhone maker is interested in bringing the technology to the flagship models this year, but prior reports have suggested that the company was facing yield issues. Well, it appears that the anti-reflective and scratch-resistant display layer is now making its way to the upcoming models, but it will only be available on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air to miss out on anti-reflective display as Apple reserves the feature exclusively for pro models this year
Sources familiar with the matter have told MacRumors that Apple suppliers have been able to tackle the yield issues related to the new anti-reflective display technology, which means that the facilities are now ready to enter mass production. Unfortunately, the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air will be left out this year, as the technology will be exclusively available on both Pro models. The technology was first reported last year, but did not make it to the iPhone 16 lineup. Given how vastly it improves the user experience, the company should implement it on all four models. Potentially, the production could suffice only for the 'Pro' models, which would leave the rest of the models waiting until next year.
It was initially reported that the anti-reflective coating is more durable than Apple's Ceramic Shield on the current iPhone 16 lineup, which means that the iPhone 17 Pro models will be able to withstand wear and tear better over time. Apple was seemingly having issues developing the anti-reflective coating for this year's iPhone 17 lineup, which made us question if it would be ready in time for launch. The feature was apparently slowing down the production, and since the process has improved, we can expect the anti-reflective coating to make its way to the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Apple recently introduced the nano-texture glass on the Mac and iPad Pro lineup, which does a pretty good job at hiding reflections of light, but we suspect the same technology will not be available on the iPhone. However, the company will introduce a new method similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which will deliver a similar experience. Samsung uses the Gorilla Glass Armor, which cuts down on reflection by up to 75 percent, and we could see a similar result on the iPhone 17 Pro models.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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