Bad News for iPhone 17 Fans: Key display feature canceled

Apple has reportedly canceled the anti-reflective, scratch-free display for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

iPhone 16 display with Priority notification shown. Image: Apple

Following considerable excitement, there's news that might disappoint dedicated iPhone fans. Word is that Apple has stopped developing its special anti-reflective screen technology for the much-anticipated iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

 

Apple, the prominent company from Cupertino, is expected to unveil its main phones for 2025 in September 2025. For months, the tech world has been full of guesses about these phones. But the newest news might make iPhone lovers a bit sad. Reports, including one from MacRumors, suggest there's a strong chance Apple won't include the highly sought-after scratch-free, anti-glare screen in its upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

This new screen technology promised users the ability to use their expensive phones without continuously worrying about unsightly scratches and annoying reflections, especially in bright sunlight. The report indicates that Apple is struggling to produce enough of this special screen coating.

 

Consequently, it seems highly likely that we won't see this advanced anti-reflective screen technology debut on iPhone models for at least another year. Additional reports suggest that the current anti-reflective application process is proving too time-consuming, even when exclusively intended for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max variants.

 

Importantly, this could mean that the major tech company in Silicon Valley falls behind its South Korean rival. Samsung has already released impressive anti-glare technology that performs exceptionally well in bright light, significantly reducing reflections (by around 75%) in their latest flagship device, the Galaxy S24 Ultra – and it's even better in this year's Galaxy S25.

 

So, if this news is accurate and Apple can't introduce it in time, they could lag behind their South Korean competitors by potentially three phone generations in screen advancements, depending on how effectively the screens actually perform.