I’ve been eying next year’s iPhone 17 Air for a while now, and I’m ready for some of the obvious compromises. This new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model might feature only one camera on the back, and it’ll have to use a smaller battery than other models next year. The iPhone 17 Air might also lack a physical SIM slot and a second speaker.
I’m ready for the downsides because I want a phone with a larger display and a much thinner body. But I have to say I am a little jealous of a recent iPhone 17 rumor that says the Pro and Pro Max phones will feature a new display component that has never been used before in any iPhones or Android phones.
This new display component will help Apple improve the display efficiency of the iPhone 17 Pros while also increasing durability. Who doesn’t want better battery life and better drop resistance from their next-gen iPhones?
A leaker who goes by the name Jukanlosreve said on X that the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a new display technology called “Low-Dielectric TEE:”
Low-Dielectric TEE improves battery efficiency, maximizes display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies.
The technology likely refers to the PCB layer that sits under the display’s OLED layer. Thus, it’s an internal component you’ll probably never see. Thanks to its chemical components (Teflon, Ethylene, and Epoxy), the Low-Dielectric TEE board will improve electrical signal transmission and heat dissipation while also offering better structural support.
The energy efficiencies the Low-Dielectric TEE layer would offer should further improve the battery life in the iPhone 17 Pro models. Or, at least keep it on par with this year’s generation. As a reminder, the iPhone 16 series offers much better battery life than its predecessors
I’ll also remind you of recent reports that Apple is already studying the LTPO3 screen tech it used in the Apple Watch Series 10 to bring it to the iPhone 18 series. The iPhone 17 will feature LTPO2 tech. That’s what makes dynamic ProMotion refresh rate possible on the iPhone. The newer versions LTPO versions are more efficient than the previous ones.
As for drop resistance, I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable using an iPhone without a screen protector. But it’ll be great to see whether displays with Low-Dielectric TEE components fare better in drop tests.
This is just a rumor, and we’ll need more confirmations to get excited about an internal iPhone component we won’t even see. But if it’s accurate, I’d expect Apple to bring Low-Dielectric TEE displays to non-Pro iPhones after introducing the tech on next year’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
