If there’s a mystery that still puzzles me in the smartphone world, it’s buyers’—or perhaps manufacturers’—obsession with bezels. Sure, a decade ago, when Xiaomi unveiled the Mi MIX with a near bezel-less display, the move felt revolutionary. At the time, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and Apple’s iPhone SE (1st generation) still had thick top and bottom bezels. But today, almost every smartphone maker promises more screen estate than the competition, and we’ve reached a point where there’s barely any bezel left to remove. Yet TECNO has stepped onto the stage with the Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone.
While I doubt the concept phone will hit the shelves anytime soon (the Spark Slim is the only TECNO concept phone to do so), I can’t stress enough that bezels exist for a reason. I want to set my phone down or adjust my grip without triggering the touch screen. Does TECNO address my concerns? Let’s find out.
What TECNO has confirmed about the Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone
At the time of writing, I only had access to a handful of official details about the TECNO Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone. According to TECNO, the phone features a 0 mm screen bezel, edging past the Xiaomi 15‘s 1.38 mm profile. Unlike the Xiaomi 15, however, which buyers describe as comfortable for one-handed use, TECNO’s official materials don’t offer any clues about ergonomics.
The other detail worth paying attention to is TECNO’s plan to unveil the Next-Gen Bezelless Concept Phone at IFA 2026, which runs from September 4 to 8 in Berlin, Germany. That gives me a bit of hope because the Spark Slim also made its public debut at IFA before eventually reaching retail.
Even so, TECNO’s announced 13 concept devices and brought only two to market—a success rate of just 15.4%. That’s enough to keep my expectations in check.
A zero-border phone leaves nowhere for a case lip to sit
From what I understand, a case lip on a zero-border phone either sits on the active display or leaves the most vulnerable edge exposed. Since most people use a case, that could become a frustrating compromise. I’ve also seen plenty of online discussion suggesting that going caseless has become something of a status symbol, so if that’s who TECNO has in mind, case compatibility may not be a priority.
Either way, an IP68 rating should be non-negotiable. A phone that already raises questions about durability and will likely cost a premium needs all the protection it can get.
Grigor Baklajyan is a copywriter covering technology at Gadget Flow. His contributions include product reviews, buying guides, how-to articles, and more.