We’re back talking about the iPhone 18 series, and in particular the much-discussed Dynamic Island. It seems Apple’s workaround to fit the complex Face ID system is hard to die: according to the latest rumors Cupertino would be having some trouble implementing the face unlock under the display, and consequently the next generation of smartphones should have the Dynamic Island on their side.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with Dynamic Island: the transition to in-display Face ID has been postponed
First presented in 2022, the Dynamic Island appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max as an alternative to the bulky notch. The latter arrived with the iconic iPhone X and was born to host the Face ID and the front camera.
The notch’s evolution has been the Dynamic Island, now extended to all models in the iPhone lineup. The pill-shaped space always includes technologies for 3D face unlock and the selfie camera, however the unsightly notch has been transformed into a distinctive and useful feature.
The physical holes are masked by a smooth software interface that expands and contracts as needed. The island changes shape and size to show different information, without interrupting on-screen action. It can display system notifications, real-time activity, and you can interact with it via touch.
However this epochal shift will not arrive with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: according to the latest rumors the island’s size will become smaller, but it will remain. The technical challenges would be particularly arduous and therefore the futuristic leap will not occur with the next generation.
2027 could be the right moment
Even though at the moment we are dealing with rumors, the absence of Face ID under the display would not surprise us much. We have already highlighted that this is an engineering challenge of the highest level, but deep down there is also another reason that is nagging at us.
2027 will be the twentieth anniversary of iPhone: the first model of the lineup was introduced in 2007 and in 2017 there was the launch of iPhone X. The latter marked the entry of Face ID, the 3D face unlock that displaced Cupertino’s iconic Touch ID.
Consequently, the launch of iPhone 20 could be the moment for a radical change introducing Face ID under the display. The twentieth-anniversary iPhone could also say goodbye to physical buttons, but for now it’s only rumors.
