If you thought the era of curved phone screens was over, this latest round of supply-chain chatter says otherwise. A new report out of China argues that quad-curved displays could return in a big way over the next product cycle, with both Apple and several major Android brands said to be evaluating updated versions of the design.
Over the past two years, the flagship market has moved heavily toward flat panels. The report points out that most major phone makers switched their 2025 and 2026 high-end models to flat screens, with only a small number of premium devices still sticking to curved edges. That shift made it easy to assume curved-screen phones were on their way out for good.
Now the story may be changing again. According to the article, one reason the category is resurfacing is Apple’s long-rumored 20th anniversary iPhone, expected next year. Earlier leaks had focused on a true full-screen design with under-display front hardware, but newer claims suggest Apple may instead pursue a four-sided curved visual treatment to make the bezels nearly disappear to the eye.
The most detailed version of that rumor says Apple may not use a genuinely bent OLED panel across all four edges. Instead, the company is reportedly exploring a flat display paired with specially shaped cover glass that curves along all sides. The goal would be to create an ‘invisible bezel’ effect through light refraction, making the edges feel more fluid without compromising how content looks near the borders.
Recent leak activity has only added to that narrative. One supply-chain claim from April 24 said Apple was asking Samsung to customize a lightly curved four-edge panel. Another leak from April 27 suggested Apple’s approach would differ from older curved-screen implementations by focusing more on visual immersion and less on aggressive wraparound curvature.
The report also says Chinese brands aren’t sitting still. Earlier rumors framed similar concepts as experimental or concept-device territory, but newer posts from well-known leakers now suggest that some of China’s top smartphone makers could launch new equal-depth four-curved models in the second half of this year. A separate teaser mentioned evaluation work around a four-curved front paired with an even slimmer ‘borderless’ visual identity.
If those claims hold up, the new wave of quad-curved displays would not simply repeat the old waterfall-screen era. The pitch this time is narrower visible borders and a more polished premium look, rather than pushing dramatic curvature for its own sake. One part of the report even claims newer techniques could make the apparent border dramatically slimmer than what current flat-screen phones achieve.
That said, the article doesn’t suggest flat screens are going away. Instead, it frames the market as moving toward coexistence. Flat-screen supporters still like the cleaner fit with screen protectors and phone cases, while fans of curved-screen phones continue to prefer the smoother in-hand feel and more rounded silhouette.
In other words, this may be less of a full reversal and more of a design split. If Apple really does use the anniversary model to showcase a new edge treatment, and if Chinese flagship brands follow with their own premium takes, the phone market could be heading into another cycle where flat and curved designs both have a place instead of one fully replacing the other.
