Apple plans to include an under-display Face ID system starting with its 2023 iPhones, removing the need to house the facial recognition system in a notch, according to well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Since its debut with the iPhone X, the notch has served primarily to house the TrueDepth camera system which enables Face ID. While Apple is rumored to be planning a smaller notch for the 2021 iPhones, presumably, if the tech giant is able to house the facial recognition system under the display, it would remove the need for a notch entirely.
Kuo had also previously stated that at least one high-end iPhone model in 2023 will feature an under-display fingerprint scanner with no notch and a real full-screen display. Kuo provides no specifics with today's note on whether Apple would offer both an under-display Touch ID and Face ID system, or whether under-display Face ID will remain exclusive to the higher-end iPhones.
Apple has widely been rumored to adopt an under-display fingerprint scanner, even possibly for the iPhone 13. However, this is the first time we've heard of a possible under-display Face ID system. From a technological standpoint, achieving an under-display facial recognition system requires more advanced tooling, given that the TrueDepth camera system must be able to read and recognize faces through the pixels of the display without distorting or interfering with the content.
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
One thing worth...
Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future.
"I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.
Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta.
Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
We've been waiting for "Under Display Touch ID" for four years. I guess we can wait a few more years for this. I've upgraded from a 7 to a 12 last year, and after six months, I wouldn't say Face ID is better or worse than Touch ID. Let's not pretend Touch ID was perfect, but I'd love to have a device that has both, which presumably increases the success of unlocking. My phone is in my jeans pocket most of the time, so with the iPhone 7, I got used to placing my thumb on the home button while grabbing it. It would be cool if Face ID would kick in when Touch ID fails.
Let's hope they do better than previous attempts by other manufacturers:
There will still be holes through the display for the cameras and sensors since it's impossible to shoot through solid surfaces. So they just cover the holes with a looser set of pixels to disguise it. But the holes are still there.
I'm interested to see what Apple can do with this... though I'm not bothered by current solutions.
I'd actually prefer matching bezels on the top and bottom of the phone and put good front-facing speakers there!
But that's just me... :p
That's why Apple does not play the "me first" game. They wait for the tech to mature.
Tomorrow: Kuo: Apple to use way better batteries in 2024 The next day: Kuo: Apple to implement 3D photography in 2025 The next day: Kuo: Apple to add physical, haptic feedback in 2026 The next day: Kuo: Apple to reduce body thickness of some devices to half in 2027 The next day: Kuo: Apple to build one-piece-of-glass-only see-though iPhones in 2028
It's a bit ridiculous. Of course Apple has a road map. Of course, this may change and some features will slip in the next year or even later.
seems like I won’t be upgrading my Xs Max for another few years.
I’m sick and tired of Face ID. I want under display touch ID,much more zoom and Macro camera ,not just casual,selfie camera with more megapixels and refinements.