iPhone 16 Pro Rumored to Feature Under-Display Face ID Next Year

The iPhone 16 Pro will feature under-display Face ID technology to provide more usable display area, according to The Elec.

iphone 14 face id dynamic island
The Korean-language report explains that Apple will move the components required for ‌Face ID‌ authentication directly under the iPhone's display in 2024. When not in use, the TrueDepth camera for ‌Face ID‌ will not be visible under the display, which will appear seamlessly contiguous with the surrounding screen area.

The report clarified that the hole in the display for the front-facing camera will remain on the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro, but the overall display area and sense of immersion will be improved. It added that the display cutouts will remain the same from the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro to the ‌iPhone‌ 15 Pro later this year since the under-display technology is not yet ready.

It also corroborated rumors that all four models in the ‌iPhone‌ 15 lineup will offer the Dynamic Island, expanding the feature from the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max to the two standard models later in 2023.

Further in the future, the report added that once Apple has implemented under-display ‌Face ID‌ technology, it will move to adopt an underpanel camera (UPC), thereby eliminating all of the display cutouts currently present on the ‌iPhone‌.

This aligns with the roadmap set out by display analyst Ross Young in May 2022. He outlined a cycle where Apple will alternate between the Pro and the non-Pro models each year when introducing revised display cutouts or new under-display technology:

The Pro models will be first to new display innovations of this kind, as first seen last year with the Dynamic Island on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max, while the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus were left with the same "notch" as the ‌iPhone‌ 13. This also means that each configuration of display cutouts and underpanel technology will persist for a maximum of two generations on each ‌iPhone‌ before the device has total usable display area sometime around 2027.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...

Top Rated Comments

BornAgainMac Avatar
39 months ago
Technically, we had a camera under the display for years but it was pointed to the other direction.
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kulfon Avatar
39 months ago
Every year for the last 5 years we have this rumor.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SAIRUS Avatar
39 months ago
My sources tell me the camera is going to be better too. ?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MS2 Avatar
39 months ago
Not going to happen - again. They are not introducing dynamic island just to remove it again in the next version - thats gonna take 5 versions. So iPhone 20 is gonna have it under the display.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmarm Avatar
39 months ago
I don't think Apple would change the design of the pill next year. It should take 1-2 years more for this to happen. Timeline provided looks kinda optimistic.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
39 months ago

Not going to happen - again. They are not introducing dynamic island just to remove it again in the next version - thats gonna take 5 versions. So iPhone 20 is gonna have it under the display.
Dynamic Island is a design element that will remain even when the notch is gone, whenever that will be.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)