iPhone 18 Pro

 iPhone 18 Pro rumoured to feature smaller dynamic island

Apple could bring its cleanest display design yet with iPhone 18 Pro and finally kill the dynamic island with an under-display camera for Face ID. Counterpoint Research VP Ross Young today cast doubt on the 20th-anniversary iPhone featuring a truly all-screen design, but he still expects Apple to make some progress towards that ambitious goal over the next few iPhone generations. The hype for the iPhone 17 is getting bigger, and with leaks hinting at a possible redesign and performance update, fans are excited. But already, it looks like leaks for next year’s iPhone 18 have started making rounds on the internet. A latest rumour hints that Apple might finally ditch the Dynamic Island in its premium iPhones. According to the reports available, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max could feature Face ID and front cameras hidden beneath the display.

In a latest rumour, it is stated that at least some new iPhones launching in 2026 will be equipped with under-screen Face ID. While specific model is not mentioned, but may be iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The leak suggests that the iPhone 18 Pro will come with a 6.27-inch LTPO OLED panel, and the Pro Max, on the other hand, will get a 6.86-inch LTPO OLED panel. Both of these might sport a 1.5K resolution with a full-screen display. The biggest rumour that makes the full-screen display possible is the use of HIAA (Hole in Active Area) technology, which strategically removes portions of the pixel layer to let the sensors see through the display. This would allow Apple to hide the entire Face ID array and selfie camera underneath the screen and give a fully immersive viewing experience without any interruptions. 

Despite the move to under-screen Face ID, the 2026 iPhone models will still have some visible Face ID elements, and for this reason the devices will still have a "notch" (aka the Dynamic Island), but it will be "smaller" compared to the one on the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 16 models. This information seems to conflict with a report last month which says that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would have "only a small hole cutout in the top-left corner to accommodate the front-facing camera." This wording suggested that the devices might not have a Dynamic Island at all, but latest rumour says that there will still be a smaller Dynamic Island, which would still be an improvement. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that Apple would shrink the size of the Dynamic Island on at least some iPhone models launching next year, so there are now multiple sources who believe that iPhone 18 models will still have a smaller Dynamic Island rather than only a front camera hole. It is not sure that if the front camera hole will nonetheless be moved to the top-left corner of the iPhone 18 screen, or if it will remain more centred. But it is expected that all Face ID elements to eventually be moved under the screen, but change will not happen until 2028.

While several Android manufacturers like Samsung have already launched their under-display cameras, Apple’s challenge is unique. Face ID isn’t just a front-facing camera, it relies on a trio of infrared components. It includes a dot projector, flood illuminator and an infrared camera. This makes it the biggest challenge for Apple, as these components don’t perform well under a display. But according to the report, Apple has already developed and is testing working prototypes to solve this issue. While the iPhone 17 series is expected to launch by the end of this year and might feature a smaller Dynamic Island, the iPhone 18 Pro line up could be the first to offer a true all-screen experience. If Apple delivers this, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could mark one of the biggest visual redesigns since the launch of the Dynamic Island. It’s still early, and plans could shift depending on manufacturing and component performance for the user's.