iPhone 17 Pro Has Smaller Dynamic Island, Claims Last-Minute Rumor - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone 17 Pro Has Smaller Dynamic Island, Claims Last-Minute Rumor

Apple has redesigned the hardware underpinning the Dynamic Island on the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro models, shrinking the pill-shaped cutout with a more compact front-facing camera and sensor system, if a last-minute rumor is anything to go by.

dynamic island
The leak comes from a previously unknown source who claims to work for a company that makes iPhone screen protectors. According to their information, the width of the Dynamic Island has shrunk to approximately 1.5cm, down from 2cm on the iPhone 16.

Given the source's lack of track record, we are taking this rumor with a large chunk of salt. Having said that, we wanted to cover it because there have been persistent – albeit conflicting – rumors that Apple planned to reduce the size of the Dynamic Island starting with the iPhone 17 lineup.

Early on in the year, analyst Jeff Pu suggested the iPhone 17 Pro Max could feature a smaller Dynamic Island than the iPhone 17 Pro and previous models. Another leaker agreed, claiming Apple would adopt a "metalens" for Face ID that integrates the transmitter and receiver components, reducing the size and thickness of structural elements and resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island on the device.

Yet another source claimed the smaller Dynamic cutout would be applied across the entire iPhone 17 lineup. Later reports, however, indicated that this change might not arrive until the iPhone 18 Pro.

On the software side, one leaker claimed that iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, but they did not share any specific details about the changes that are allegedly planned.

There's still an outside a chance that the Dynamic Island will change in some way on iPhone 17 models. If so, it would be the first time since the feature was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro models in 2022. We'll know either way next week. Apple's "Awe dropping" event takes place on Tuesday, September 9.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday

Monday November 2, 2026 1:22 am PST by
Apple is releasing five new products this Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from Friday: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming

Monday November 2, 2026 7:27 am PST by
Apple's busiest season isn't over yet. Far from it. With two hardware launch dates still to come in November, plus software updates and new smart home accessories running into December, there's more on the way from Apple before the end of 2026, so be sure to stick around. Below, we've rounded up what's still coming, along with one date in particular that's worth watching if you're a holiday...

Top Rated Comments

wood1208 Avatar
15 months ago
Smaller, thinner Island ? Nice. But, I like to see someday under screen, invisible, or no Island at all.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Devyn89 Avatar
15 months ago

But it's a feature, right? Why would they make such a useful feature smaller? How will we see it? Are they going to remove this feature altogether at some point?

I can't wait for the defenders when next years novel folding iPhone uses TouchID because they couldn't scale down FaceID over 10 years from X to Fold (but hey, we got bespoke emojis out of it, woo hoo).
They'll be compelled to give a BS reason why FaceID is suddenly inferior so they went back to TouchID on the Fold. They'll cut expensive FaceID components from all future phones then claim the Dynamic Island is underutilized by developers and phase it out. People will still buy iPhones as perceived "status symbols" despite billions sold and their shareholders will sing their praises. That won't last forever, though.
Are you ok? People are allowed to change their opinion about things. In my opinion Dynamic Island was always a stop gap feature until technology allowed it go under display - much like the home button was until the iPhone went (almost) full screen. They made a feature out of a hardware limitation as companies have for years.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago
wait.. that "new" microphone indicator that used to be inside the Dynamic Island and now it's outside of it makes sense.
If the Dynamic Island is smaller, it could mean there's probably no pixels inside of it?

The new indicator design:


and the old one:


Maybe they made that change to have it ready for smaller Dynamic Island on the new iPhone 17 Pro and to get people used to it.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
15 months ago
Not gonna happen all the main leakers would have said this
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BelgianChoklit Avatar
15 months ago
would be nice for it to become thinner too.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
15 months ago
Even the iPhone isn't immune to shrinkflation! ;)

/See also the iPhone Air where you get less phone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
Apple's Annual R&D Spending Jumps by More Than $11 Billion
12 minutes ago
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
Will Apple Ever Merge iPadOS and macOS? John Ternus Responds
13 minutes ago
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
MacBook Neo Gets Rare $30 Amazon Discount
21 minutes ago
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
Hands-On: The OLED iPad Mini is Almost an iPad Pro Mini
33 minutes ago
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
tvOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1 Likely Coming Soon
59 minutes ago
MKBHD Switches Back to iPhone 18 Pro After Testing iPhone Duo
MKBHD Switches Back to iPhone 18 Pro After Testing iPhone Duo
1 hour ago
Apple Explores Cheaper Way to Make New MacBook Pro's OLED Tech
Apple Explores Cheaper Way to Make New MacBook Pro's OLED Tech
3 hours ago
Apple Released the iPhone X Nine Years Ago Today
Apple Released the iPhone X Nine Years Ago Today
6 hours ago
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
14 hours ago
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
14 hours ago
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
15 hours ago
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
17 hours ago
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
17 hours ago
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
20 hours ago
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
21 hours ago
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
22 hours ago
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
22 hours ago
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
23 hours ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
23 hours ago
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
23 hours ago
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
1 day ago
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
1 day ago
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
1 day ago
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
1 day ago
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
5 hours ago
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
22 hours ago
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
1 day ago
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
1 day ago
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
2 days ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
2 days ago