But is it wasted?

With current tech, there are still some good structural and engineering reasons for keeping a bezel.

And when it comes to tablets like the iPad, a bezel is almost essential just for usability.

An iPhone mockup with a very small bezel.

Victor Carvalho / Unsplash

The imaginary mirror probably smashed into pieces, right?

Now imagine that same pre-smash mirror, only with a wooden frame around it.

See how it might stand a chance when you drop it now?

Someone holding at a smart phone with a tiny bezel on the edges.

golubovy / Getty Images

The bezel can perform several functions here.

To remove or reduce bezels, that circuitry has to be moved under the screen.

It could even make case design difficult.

Overhead view of an iPad and an iPad Pro laying on a white desk with plants nearby.

Daniel Romero / Unsplash

Multi Multi-Touch

Then there are the practical problems.

Our phone screens are multitouch screens, meaning they register multiple simultaneous touches separately.

This is what makes two-finger taps and pinch-to-zoom gestures possible.

But without a border, you will touch the edge of the screen while also tapping the screen.

But with tablets, bezels are even more important because you have to grab them like a book.

One has to assume that it will do the same for all future iPhones, bezel or not.