iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to get a smaller Dynamic Island this year.
The iPhone 16e (right) is the only Apple iPhone to not offer Dynamic Island today
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.
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