On a basic level, it's easy to see why the industry is moving in this direction. Minimizing bezels allows gadget-makers to cram larger screens into smaller cases. The iPhone 11 Max would have a hard time fitting in a 6.5-inch screen, and still being usable, if it still had the chunky bezels we saw on earlier iPhones. It's clear, after the success of phablets and ever-larger 4K TVs, that consumers generally take a "bigger is better" approach when it comes to display size. But gigantic TVs have existed for decades, so what's the value in shaving off a few more millimeters around the screen?

It starts with the rise of HDTVs. Early televisions convinced people they needed a screen in their homes -- who wouldn't want a window of their own to a whole new world of shows, films and news? The move to high definition introduced an entirely new level of realism and dramatically thinner TVs. Buying a hefty 32-inch CRT or enormous rear projection set meant sacrificing a ton of space in your home -- but it didn't take much to bring a 50-inch LCD into your living room. For the first time, you could even mount your TV on the wall!

"I think the the subtle implication is that, as bezels disappear, as hardware gets thinner, the technology is blending more and more effectively into our day-to-day lives," Khoi Vinh, Adobe's senior director of product design, says in an interview with Engadget. "So, where we're used to having very thick bezels essentially, like a declaration that we have a boundary for this [device] right now. ... The more the bezels disappear, the more the technology becomes indistinguishable from a book on your bookshelf, or a vase on your table ..."

According to Vinh, tech companies are trying to make their devices truly indispensable household objects. Erasing the edges between the screens and the real world is the latest way to show off their technology leadership. It's also more than just a design fad; it actually has an effect on your interaction with the device. As I've tested laptops like HP's Spectre x360 and lived with an LG OLED TV for several years, all of which have incredibly thin bezels, I've found myself feeling more immersed in their screens compared to older and boxier designs.