Foldable iPhone's Under-Screen Camera Likely Won't Include Face ID
Apple's rumored foldable iPhone currently in development features an under-screen camera integrated into the folding display, but the module is unlikely to include TrueDepth components that make up Face ID. That's according to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station who has sources within the Chinese supply chain.
On Monday, the leaker revealed the alleged screen resolutions for the 7.76-inch inner display and the 5.49-inch outer display of Apple's book-style foldable device, and they also claimed that the inner display uses "under-screen camera technology." However, it was not clear whether this meant the TrueDepth system that underlies Face ID would be integrated beneath the screen along with the selfie camera.
The latest tidbit of information clears this up, and suggests that the display will have a single punch-hole camera. It also aligns with industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's claim that Apple's foldable iPhone will forgo Face ID authentication, instead using a Touch ID side button as a means to save precious internal space. Apple already integrates Touch ID into the side button on some iPads, so there's precedent for this.
Integrating Face ID under the screen is difficult because the core components that make up the TrueDepth camera system – like the dot projector and infrared camera – need a clear, unobstructed view to accurately scan your face. Current display layers block or distort infrared light, which degrades the system's ability to create a secure 3D facial map. Fully under-display Face ID will remain a technical hurdle until displays can transmit infrared light cleanly.
That said, it's possible that Apple has already made advances toward achieving such a feat. Apple is also developing a larger 18.8-inch foldable device, and according to Digital Chat Station, one of Apple's engineering prototypes features a "metal superstructure lens" that integrates the receiver and transmitter components of Face ID for under-display facial recognition.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested the "giant" foldable tablet will launch in 2028. Whether the new Face ID technology makes it into the finished device is unknown.
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone late next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, according to Gurman.
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