According to recent rumors, Apple will release the iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max in 2027 with a revolutionary design change regarding the pill-shaped cutout for Face ID and the selfie camera.
According to rumors, Apple would like to place the Face ID technology completely under the screen. This means that the characteristic pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen will disappear, giving the display an even sleeker look. The selfie camera remains visible, but in a different place.
New position for iPhone selfie camera
Wayne Ma from The Information reports that Apple will replace the signature pill-shaped cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro (Max) with a small black dot on the screen. It is striking that this new notch does not appear in the same place as the current Dynamic Island.
Instead, Apple chooses to place the dot in the left corner of the display. This design has the advantage of leaving more space available on the rest of the screen, allowing users to benefit from an even larger usable display.
Face ID technology under the screen
Apple may be working on a new generation of Face ID technology in which the facial recognition sensors are placed completely under the iPhone’s screen. This means that the characteristic notch or Dynamic Island disappears, providing a virtually borderless and uninterrupted display.
Both the dot projector and the infrared receiver, which are essential for Face ID, are placed under the OLED screen. This makes these components invisible to the user.
Apple has a patent on a method that removes some of the sub-pixels in the screen where the Face ID sensors are located. This increases the light transmittance of the screen, so that the infrared rays from Face ID can pass through unhindered without noticeably reducing image quality.
End for Dynamic Island?
Because the pill-shaped recess disappears, it is still unclear whether the Dynamic Island function will remain or will be adjusted. Apple currently uses the cutout to show additional information to the user. Display analyst Ross Young and Mark Gurman of Bloomberg report that the Dynamic Island will first shrink before it may disappear completely. So there is a chance that Apple will use the small recess for the Dynamic Island in a smaller form.
Expected launch of iPhone 20 Pro (Max)
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max in September 2027. These devices will most likely herald the start of a new generation of iPhones with an almost full-screen design.