There was a time when the common consensus among industry insiders was that the iPhone 16 would be the first iPhone with under-screen Face ID but there’s almost a zero chance of that happening, if leaks and rumors are to be believed.
Display analyst Ross Young, who has a stellar track record, previously expected the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max to be the first iPhones with under-screen Face ID and a pinhole camera. He now says that this plan has been delayed until 2026 (via Apple Insider).
The iPhone 18 and 18 Pro are now expected to be the first iPhones with under-display Face ID, while the standard models should get the tech in 2027.
This means that this year’s and next year’s iPhones will stick with Dynamic Island, which first debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro.
After moving Face ID beneath the display, Apple is expected to adopt the under-panel camera technology after 2026 which will be developed by LG Innotek. An under-screen front-facing camera is deemed to be a bigger challenge than under-screen Face ID, which is why we will see the latter go beneath the screen first.
And judging by the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5’s under-display camera, it’s probably better that Apple perfects the technologies instead of rushing them. The company has allegedly already rejected one under-display camera sample from a company as it wasn’t satisfied.
For now, all eyes are on the iPhone 16 family, which will largely have the same design as the current-gen phones and will rely on iOS 18 and AI features to attract buyers and earn a spot on the best phones of 2024 list.