Apple's iPhone 16 series is expected to launch sometime in the second half of the year, but a piece of information regarding the next year's iPhone 17 has landed. According to a new rumor, the device might feature a "super-hard anti-reflective layer" on the outer glass with better scratch resistance than the Ceramic Display cover glass currently used.
The claim comes from Weibo leaker Instant Digital (via MacRumors), who mentioned that China's supply chain has gotten access to the coating material but it's unlikely that it will make it to this year's iPhone 16 series.
Apple debuted its protective glass with the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020. It's a ceramic glass developed in partnership with Corning, the make of Gorilla Glass. The Cuperinto giant said, at the time of its launch, that Ceramic Shield on iPhone 12 offers up to four times better drop protection than the previous generation.
The improved performance was achieved by "adding a new high temperature crystallisation step that grows nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix," Apple explained. Since then, the Ceramic Shield has made its way to later iPhone models, including last year's iPhone 15 series Apple marketed by saying that its "Ceramic Shield front cover continues to be tougher than any other smartphone glass."
Corning has also developed Samsung Galaxy S24's Gorilla Glass Armor, which is up to 75% less reflective than a typical glass in different lighting conditions. It is about four times more resistant to micro-scratches caused by day-to-day usage compared to "competitive aluminosilicate cover glasses."
Apart from that, the iPhone maker is reportedly in talks with Google to use its Gemini AI for the iPhone. While the Apple Car won't make it to the road, the latest rumors suggest that the first foldable iPhone could sometime around 2026 and the company is evaluating the practicality of 6-inch and 8-inch prototypes.
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