iPhone 18 Pro Series Tipped to Get Hole-Punch Selfie Camera, Hidden Face ID System

iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to get a smaller Dynamic Island this year.

Written by Sheldon Pinto, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 20 June 2025 17:49 IST

iPhone 18 Pro Series Tipped to Get Hole-Punch Selfie Camera, Hidden Face ID System

The iPhone 16e (right) is the only Apple iPhone to not offer Dynamic Island today

Highlights

Apple’s Dynamic Island was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro
Dynamic Island hides Apple’s Face ID biometric authentication system
It may soon be a thing of the past with the iPhone 18 Pro

Apple's Dynamic Island feature has been a part of iOS and iPhone for a few years, starting with the iPhone 14 Pro. While the feature (which is a combination of hardware and software), was Apple's shift from a dated U-shaped display notch to a more modern capsule-shaped cavity placed in the centre at the top of its iPhone displays, it was not well received. Initially reserved for its Pro models only, the feature finally arrived on the standard iPhone models with the launch of the iPhone 15. Now, a tipster claims that Apple's iPhone 18 Pro line is set to introduce another feature, which may get rid of the Dynamic Island capsule when not in use, leaving a very Android-like hole-punch cavity visible for its selfie camera.

According to Digital Chat Station's recent Weibo post, Apple might be readying a new feature for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, set to be unveiled in 2026. Giving out the details about their respective displays, the tipster states that the iPhone 18 Pro will have a 6.27-inch panel while the bigger 18 Pro Max will get a 6.86-inch OLED panel. These will be LTPO panels with a 1.5K resolution.

While the above sounds pretty normal in the case of iPhone, the tipster also mentions that Apple will use HIAA technology for the selfie camera while the underlying Face ID array will be pushed under the display, leaving only the selfie camera exposed.

This is very unlike the current Face ID implementation which Apple has masked with a Dynamic Island feature with a capsule-shaped software bubble that expands and contracts depending on the task or Live Activities being displayed. For those not in the know, Dynamic Island isn't really an “island” but consists of one oblong camera cutout (Face ID system) and a circular camera (selfie camera) cutout placed alongside one another with a black software layer of the display filling up the pixels in between to make it appear like a neat capsule.

With Apple said to be switching to HIAA or Hole-in-Active-Area, means that only the selfie camera will be visible to the user, while the Face ID system will be hidden just below the display. It will definitely be impressive to see how the Face ID system and its array of flood illuminators and cameras (which use infrared light) work through the display panel, but many will be happy to see the black blob gone. That will then become a premium or “Pro” feature.

If this is indeed the implementation that Apple goes ahead with next year for its premium Pro models, it then remains to be seen what becomes of Dynamic Island, as the Face ID system (which includes the selfie camera) will only be reduced to a dot. Apple could indeed animate a fake capsule-like blob around it, but it seems unnecessary given that the hardware has shrunk and does not need the cover-up anymore.

As it stands, the recently launched iPhone 16e is the only new smartphone in Apple's lineup to not get the Dynamic Island treatment as it is the first affordable iPhone to transition from the older Touch ID to Face ID this year. Touch ID is still being used on Apple's MacBooks and affordable iPad models today.

Apple iPhone 16e

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Light and compact design
Powerful Apple A18 SoC
Customisable Action Button
Good battery life

Bad
Low light camera performance is below average
Available in just two basic finishes
Large display notch with thick borders
60Hz refresh rate display
Slow wireless and wired charging

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16e review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A18

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Superb display with always-on mode
Excellent overall performance
Good battery life
All cameras take high-quality stills and video
Regular iOS updates for many years

Bad
Extremely expensive
Relatively slow charging and transfer speed
Gets warm under heavy workloads
Limited customisation for Dynamic Island

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 Pro review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Apple, Apple iPhone 18 Pro, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Display, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Display, Dynamic Island, Face ID

Sheldon Pinto

Email Sheldon Pinto

Sheldon Pinto is based in Mumbai, and has several years of experience in reviewing smartphones and gadgets. As a Senior Reviewer at Gadgets 360, you will always find him deeply immersed in his reviews, switching from one phone to another. When the battery dies out, Sheldon is always browsing the web for a good sci-fi movie or reading up on cars and bikes. He also loves creating lists of interesting places to eat and travel. Sheldon is available on Twitter at @shellshocd, and you can mail him at ...More