Samsung Galaxy S11 apparently won’t have a waterfall screen like the Mate 30 Pro

Don't expect the S11's screen to curve any more steeply than the S10 Plus's (pictured) (Image credit: Future)

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro has a striking design and that’s thanks largely to one thing: its steeply curved ‘waterfall’ screen. But it’s a design that Samsung apparently won’t look to imitate with the Samsung Galaxy S11.

That’s according to @UniverseIce (a reputable leaker), who says that while the Galaxy S11 won’t have a waterfall screen, it will have a narrower bezel than the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.

The Galaxy Note 10 already has very little bezel, so if accurate this would mean the Samsung Galaxy S11 would basically be all screen from the front, other than likely a punch-hole camera cut-out.

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Several modern smartphones have screens which curve back at the sides, instead of abruptly ending – it gives smartphones a decidedly premium feel, but can take some getting used to in some cases due to the fact you can accidentally press the curves with parts of your hand when you don't intend to.

A 'waterfall' screen is one which is particularly curved, like the arc of a river running over a cliff.

Interestingly, the source says that the decision not to have a waterfall screen was made “after careful consideration by Samsung”, suggesting that it was something the company was considering.

And it might be for the best that the Samsung Galaxy S11 doesn’t have such a screen, as while it would be sure to look good, it may also increase the chances of accidentally interacting with the screen when holding the phone. Plus, having that much display on the edge might make the phone more fragile.

Of course, this is still just a rumor for now, so we can’t be certain that the Samsung Galaxy S11 won’t have a waterfall screen, but so far no leaks suggest it will. Based on other leaks we’re expecting a design a lot like the Galaxy Note 10’s, with the selfie camera in a top central position just like that phone, but with a smaller lens, and if today’s leak is accurate with less bezel too.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.