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 Roundups: iPhone 15, iPhone 16 Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 15 (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

BornAgainMac Avatar
20 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
20 months ago
Every year for the last 5 years we have this rumor.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SAIRUS Avatar
20 months ago
My sources tell me the camera is going to be better too. ?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MS2 Avatar
20 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
20 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
20 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)