Apple will finally begin removing the notch from the iPhone starting in 2022 with the iPhone 14 Pro, according to recent reports.
Last week, Korean website The Elec reported that the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature a hole-punch display design, much like those seen on some high-end Android devices, instead of the notch.
The notch, which Apple calls the TrueDepth camera array, was a controversial design decision introduced in 2017 on the iPhone X, and remained largely unchanged on subsequent iPhone models until the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, which slightly reduced it in size. As of the iPhone 13, the TrueDepth camera array contains an infrared camera, a flood illuminator, front camera, and dot projector, with the speaker moved up to the top of the chassis.
The hole-punch cutout will allow Apple to provide more display area while still leaving enough space for the front-facing camera, but the design will mean that the hardware needed to facilitate Face ID will need to be positioned under the display.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature a hole-punch camera design instead of a notch, and The Elec's latest report adds credence to the rumor.
Barclays analysts claim that Apple is planning to adopt a laser-based time-of-flight architecture for Face ID that would allow for substantial changes to be introduced to the front-facing TrueDepth camera array, and other rumors point to a unibody lens design for a reduction in the size of the front camera module.
Apple is also believed to be working on a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and, to replace the 5.4-inch "mini" iPhone form factor, a new 6.7-inch "iPhone 14 Max." These models are expected to retain the notch, with the hole-punch design being exclusive to Apple's high-end iPhones.
