Uh oh
Skinny-bezeled 18:9 phones are all the rage nowadays, with each company racing to announce their own bezel-less phone ahead of the competition. Unfortunately come 2018, the prices of these “bezel-less” phones will increase, as there is currently a shortage of smartphone panels that will extend until next year.
The problem with the new trend is that there isn’t enough of these new panels to go around. Add to the customized nature of these bezel-less panels (each manufacturer uses a slightly tweaked, proprietary panel that only fits on their phones) and you have a shortage that won’t be solved anytime soon.
If that wasn’t enough, 18:9 displays also take longer to make and require 20% more glass substrates than regular 16:9 screens. Digitimes is expecting prices of said 18:9 panels will increase by a double-digit rate in the third quarter and continue trending upward in the fourth quarter, meaning higher overall prices for “bezel-less” phones.
