The hottest new trend in smartphones is staring you right in the face

The hottest new trend in smartphones is right in front of you.

Started by Samsung and quickly followed by others including LG, Essential and, as of Tuesday, Sharp, smartphones are beginning to pack screens that take up almost the entire front of the phone. Apple's iPhone 8 is expected to offer a similar screen when it launches later this year.

There's a benefit to this change.

Until recently, smartphone makers needed to create larger phones to accommodate larger displays. Now, thanks to advancements in screen technology — Samsung's smartphones have curved screens that run over the sides of the phone, for example — smartphone makers are able to create smaller, more pocketable smartphones without sacrificing on screen size.

The iPhone 7 Plus is a large phone, for example, with a 5.5-inch screen. It measures 6.2 x 3 inches in order to accommodate it. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8, which doesn't have any size bezels, packs a larger 5.8-inch screen in a more compact 5.8-inch x 2.6-inch body.

While slimmer bezels — the areas around the sides, top and bottom of the smartphone — have been desired by industry reviewers for years now, it seems like a solution to a problem that didn't really exist for consumers.

I don't think I've ever heard a family member or friend, who I consider regular consumers, complain about the "bezels" on their smartphones. On the other hand, the new devices, such as the Galaxy S8, offer more immersive experiences for viewing movies and playing games. They also look really compelling — futuristic even — particularly next to a traditional smartphone without new screen technologies.