Apple Still 'Far From' Full-Screen iPhone as Hidden Face ID Hits Snags

Tuesday March 24, 2026 7:15 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple's progress toward under-display Face ID and a fully uninterrupted iPhone display is encountering ongoing challenges, with a new report indicating that the company is likely to focus on incremental reductions to the Dynamic Island rather than major front-facing design changes in the near term.

dynamic island

A new post from Weibo user "Fixed Focus Digital" suggests that Apple's development of under-display technologies is not advancing as smoothly as previously anticipated, casting doubt on expectations for significant front-facing design changes in upcoming iPhone models. According to the leaker, Apple's near-term approach is expected to prioritize refining existing solutions rather than introducing a fully hidden front camera and ‌Face ID‌ system.

The latest information aligns with a growing body of mixed reports surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro models. Earlier claims from multiple sources, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and display industry analyst Ross Young, indicated that Apple would reduce the size of the ‌Dynamic Island‌, likely by relocating some ‌Face ID‌ components beneath the display.

Other sources have cast doubt on the extent of these changes. Weibo leaker "Digital Chat Station" recently claimed that the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models may reuse much of their existing front-facing design, with ‌Face ID‌ and the ‌Dynamic Island‌ remaining "largely unchanged" and more ambitious under-display implementations pushed to a later generation.

In the same series of posts, Fixed Focus Digital also commented on Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, describing the device as "ultra-flat, moderately sized, and affordably priced," and claimed that supply chain expectations for production volumes are relatively high.

Ultra-flat, moderately sized, and affordably priced—there is simply no reason for the iPhone Fold to fail. At least on the supply side, inventory expectations are quite substantial. However, if sales do end up flopping... Apple's stock price is going to take a nosedive.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and Apple's first foldable iPhone are expected to be announced in the fall.

Tags: Dynamic Island Guide, Face ID Guide, Fixed Focus Digital, Foldable iPhone Guide

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Top Rated Comments

HouseLannister

8 months ago

I just continue to feel that Apple should have gone the under-screen sonic fingerprint sensor route years ago. They are lightning fast and never fail me. Pixel even combines this with secure facial recognition using just the selfie cam, which works about as well as FaceID as long as you are in good light. Then all they need to work on is making the camera under display, a much simpler challenge. Nubia has done a decent job with the 16MP under-display selfie cam on their RedMagic phones. It's still not great, but it is far better than Samsung had done with the 4MP on the Z Fold 6.

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

seek3r

8 months ago

Hitting snags
Unexpected delays
Difficulties
Challenges
Obstacles

We're tired of your ****, Tim.

Would I blow your mind if I told you that pretty much every company that develops any product hits unexpected delays, difficulties, challenges, and obstacles in the process?

Do you have any idea how much stuff gets developed by companies that *never* ships?

I’ve worked in R&D, the amount of money spent on things that get shelved, for reasons ranging from viability, to IP concerns, to supply chain issues, to QC worries, to insurmountable problems, to even an exec simply not liking the idea, etc is astronomical.

You just dont obsessively read rumors and leaks about most companies, unlike those of us here at MR do about Apple.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

MacKid

8 months ago

Fascinating how these "tamp down" leaks always come a day or two after Gurman promising a miraculous all-screen slab with under-panel infrared and Touch ID... it's like Timmy made one phone call and deployed PR to manage expectations.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

ThisIsMike

8 months ago

“Affordably priced…” Hmm, that’s an interesting new development. Of course, that would mean “affordably priced” for Apple, so what are we thinking now? $1600?

Also, it’s absurd to say that if the folding phone doesn’t sell well that Apple’s stock will tank, because Apple’s stock price doesn’t hinge on the success or failure of this one device any more than it did the iPhone Air.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)