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While some might prefer smartphones with razor-thin bezels for their sleek and modern aesthetic, such devices are not without compromise. Bezels serve different purposes, and with this in mind, I wouldn’t buy any smartphone with razor-thin bezels. Let me explain why.
1Increased Risk of Damage
One of the biggest drawbacks of razor-thin bezels is that they leave the screen’s edges more exposed, making the phone more vulnerable to damage. Although bezels make your phone less aesthetic, they serve an important purpose: protecting the screen. They can absorb impact when you accidentally drop your device, reducing the likelihood of screen damage.
With razor-thin bezels, your phone’s display has less protective material; therefore, even a minor drop can mess it up. Mind you,smartphone screens are expensive to replace. For instance,according to Samsung, replacing a damaged Galaxy S24 Ultra screen will cost you $259. It gets worse if you own an iPhone 16 Pro Max, as that’ll cost you about $379,according to Apple.
These high repair costs are one of the majorreasons to purchase a premium warranty for your phone. And that’s a premium you’ll have to be willing to pay upfront or on a monthly basis.
2Increased Risk of Accidental Touches
Another downside that makes phones with razor-thin bezels a no for me is the increased likelihood of accidental touches. If a phone has sizeable bezels around it, there’s ample space for holding the device. Consequently, it’s much less likely that you’ll accidentally touch the screen.
However, if the bezels are thin, you’ll experience the opposite. With narrow bezels, you get less surface area for holding the device. Therefore, it’s highly likely that you’ll unintentionally touch the screen’s edges.
That will happen anytime you interact with the device. For instance, while typing, your palms may occasionally touch the screen, adding or removing characters from your messages. And if you’re into gaming, it will be hard to avoid accidental touches.
Samsung encountered this issue when making phones with curved displays (like the Galaxy Note Edge and S6 Edge+). To fix it, the company had to allow users to adjust the sensitivity of the edges around the display with a dedicated app calledEdgeTouch.
3Limited Hand Grip
Bezels provide a buffer area around a phone’s screen that can be used to comfortably hold the device for a firm grip without touching the display. It’swhy the size of screen bezels matters. A phone with narrow bezels offers limited space to grip, which can make the device feel slippery and fragile overall.
I much prefer a phone with slightly larger bezels, as they provide enough room for a comfortable hand grip. Considering how smartphones have grown in size because of the general consumer preference for large phones, having enough bezels gives you a more secure hold.
4Repairability Concerns
Smartphone makers have to make the device’s internal design complex and compact to achieve razor-thin bezels. This makes the device much harder and often more expensive to repair.
With a compact design, there’s less space for working on the device, which leaves little room for maneuvering without risking further damage. This is especially true for screen replacements, which is one of the most common phone repairs.
I’m not a DIY enthusiast by any means, but if you’re one, you probably already know that compact electronic designs make it hard to self-repair any device.
5You’ll Notice More Glare and Reflections
Razor-thin bezels can also lead to more glare and reflections. This is because bezels on phones help reduce glare, especially while using the phone outdoors. They achieve this by blocking external light, thus minimizing reflections. Light can easily hit and reflect off the screen’s edges without sufficient bezels around the display, resulting in poor screen visibility, especially in bright environments.
Phones with razor-thin bezels are more impressive aesthetically. However, this aesthetic has practical drawbacks that make it a no-go for me. From limited hand grip to increased risk of accidental touches and damage, repairability concerns, and a high risk of glare and reflections, I don’t see myself buying a phone with razor-thin bezels.
