iPhone 17 Pro leak says anti-glare screen is no longer happening
Apple was rumored to rid the next iPhone of glare on the screen, but it appears that's no longer happening
šŖ© Apple is reportedly scrapping the anti-glare coating for the iPhone 17 Pro display
š± It was expected to gain the coating after Samsung popularized it with the Galaxy S24 Ultra
ā³ Apparently, it takes too long to produce, which is slowing down Appleās plans
š The iPhone 17 Pro is expected to release this September
It looks like weāll be seeing a lot of glare on the iPhone 17 Pro display. Apple was rumored to give its next high-end smartphone an anti-glare finish, but that plan has been scrapped, according to a report from MacRumors. The coating wouldāve also made the Ceramic Shield glass more scratch-resistant. The feature was popularized in the flagship space by Samsung with last yearās Galaxy S24 Ultra, with the S25 Ultra carrying it over to 2025.
MacRumors cites āa source with reliable informationā in its report, which reveals that Apple was working on giving the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max an anti-glare coating. However, the company ran into problems ramping up production of the display coating process, which resulted in a larger production delay of the 17 Pro. With its rumored launch date creeping up this September, Apple doesnāt seem to have the time to iron out its issues, so the feature is being removed completely.
Itās unclear why the coating caused such a delay in iPhone 17 Pro production. Samsung has been able to produce tens of millions of S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra phones with the coating, which can reduce 75% of glare on your display when viewing in direct sunlight. Compared to phones that donāt come with it, the difference is very noticeable.
Apple already applies an oleophobic coating to the iPhone, which helps to reduce the amount of fingerprints that get stuck to it. That process has been refined greatly over the years and fits with Appleās production schedule, so it seems like the extra time needed to apply anti-glare was significant enough that the company was willing to sacrifice it.
MacRumors says the feature could still be added to the iPhone 17 Pro, but right now, it doesnāt seem likely at all. At best, the iPhone 18 Pro could feature it.
We expect the iPhone 17 Pro to come out this September alongside the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air. The phone will reportedly come with a huge camera bar on the back, triple 48MP cameras, the A19 Pro processor, a bigger battery, and a thicker design.
Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. Heās been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.