No, you didnt read the headline incorrectly. Although we expect Apple to release the iPhone 16 series later this year, theres already a new rumor about the 2025 iPhone 17 and its a potentially big one.

Instant Digital, who is known for leaking iPhone information, recently posted a new iPhone 17 rumor on the Chinese social network Weibo claiming that Apple has developed a new display technology for the iPhone 17. Specifically, its one that could greatly reduce reflections and scratches.

As Instant Digital writes:Apple spent billions on coating equipment in Japan, which has been handed over to Chinas supply chain, but the iPhone 16 series cant keep up. The outer glass of the iPhone 17 series will be made into a super-hard [anti-reflective] layer. It can be said that the iPhone 17 series will be more scratch-resistant than you think.

Related There are a couple of things to unpack here. First is the reported anti-reflective layer. Although current iPhones already do a commendable job of being visible in direct sunlight, further improvements here are always welcome to see. However, its the second bit about the iPhone 17 series being more scratch-resistant that has me the most excited.

Ive been using the iPhone 15 Pro Max as my daily smartphone since its release last September, and its screen islitteredwith scratches. Theyre all cosmetic and dont impact how I use the phone, but there are a lot of themand I hate every single one. I found myself in a similar situation last year with the iPhone 14 Pro. The Ceramic Shield glass Apples used on its iPhones since 2020 does a commendable job at being shatter-proof, but for whatever reason, its never impressed in terms of scratch resistance. If this is something Apples working to improve for the iPhone 17, you can count me in.

Its also worth noting how similar this new display technology sounds to Cornings Gorilla Armor glass, which debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra this year. Corning says that Gorilla Armor reduces reflections by up to 75%, is over four times more scratch-resistant, and up to three times more drop-resistant. When he tested it in January, Digital Trends Prakhar Khanna called Gorilla Armor one of the biggest improvements in the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

The iPhone 17 is obviously still far off at this point, so its difficult to say how this rumor will hold up in the coming months. However, if this is indeed something Apple is working on for the 2025 iPhone, I cant wait for it.