Apple’s fanbase really wants you to know about the iPhone 15’s ‘thinnest bezels’ — and it shows just how underwhelming the new model could be

• Bloomberg reported that the new iPhone 15 will have “thinner bezels.”
• That the fanfare is around thin phone borders really goes to show just how underwhelming the new model’s changes could be.
• Other expected changes include a titanium frame and ditching the lightning cable for USB-C.

The upcoming iPhone 15 could have thinner bezels, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported Monday, and it seems that a new era of understated advancements is upon us.

The new iPhone 15 could have its bezel — the border around a phone’s screen — shrink from 2.2 millimeters to 1.5 millimeters. This new design is made possible by “low-injection pressure over-molding” or LIPO technology, according to Bloomberg.

But even before Bloomberg’s report, I was already startled by the bezel discourse from Apple’s fanbase and gadget media circles.

Twitter user @Rjey posted on July 25, “A bezel less iPhone is coming! This looks amazing.” The tweet had over 2,200 likes and had been viewed over 225,000 times since being posted.

Another user @sondesix tweeted on July 24: “Your dream of the bezel-free iPhone might come true. 👀”

And then @AppleTrack tweeted about the bezel shrinkage on Monday: “This is a reduction of more than 30%, and it’s said to give iPhone the thinnest bezels of any smartphone in the world.”

To me, it’s telling that Apple’s biggest fans are focusing on this lone tweak in phone borders as the new model’s big change.

Remember when Apple used to stir the pot with major innovations instead of minor design modifications? There was the home button’s farewell and the advent of Face ID with the iPhone X. Or, the arrival of 5G connectivity and MagSafe attachable accessories with the iPhone 12.

Let’s not forget the iPhone 4, which introduced the front-facing camera, forever changing the selfie game.

Or the iPhone 6, which ushered in the era of mobile payments by introducing near field communications, or NFC, to Apple users.

Aside from the barely there bezels, Bloomberg also shared a list of other changes that could come with the iPhone 15. These include a lighter titanium frame, a move from lightning cables to USB-C, and a beefed-up battery life.

Apple typically releases new iPhone models in September, but the company hasn’t yet announced the new phone’s release date. Bloomberg reported that Apple aims to produce 85 million units of the iPhone 15 this year, slightly lower than last year’s 90 million units for the iPhone 14.

For now, I’ll reserve judgment until Apple formally launches the iPhone 15, because this bezel hype hasn’t convinced me yet.