Apple Still 'Far From' Full-Screen iPhone as Hidden Face ID Hits Snags

[MacRumors]

Apple's progress toward under-display Face ID and a fully uninterrupted iPhone display is encountering ongoing challenges, with a new report indicating that the company is likely to focus on incremental reductions to the Dynamic Island rather than major front-facing design changes in the near term.

A new post from Weibo user "Fixed Focus Digital" suggests that Apple's development of under-display technologies is not advancing as smoothly as previously anticipated, casting doubt on expectations for significant front-facing design changes in upcoming iPhone models. According to the leaker, Apple's near-term approach is expected to prioritize refining existing solutions rather than introducing a fully hidden front camera and Face ID system.

The latest information aligns with a growing body of mixed reports surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro models. Earlier claims from multiple sources, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and display industry analyst Ross Young, indicated that Apple would reduce the size of the Dynamic Island, likely by relocating some Face ID components beneath the display.

Other sources have cast doubt on the extent of these changes. Weibo leaker "Digital Chat Station" recently claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro models may reuse much of their existing front-facing design, with Face ID and the Dynamic Island remaining "largely unchanged" and more ambitious under-display implementations pushed to a later generation.

In the same series of posts, Fixed Focus Digital also commented on Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, describing the device as "ultra-flat, moderately sized, and affordably priced," and claimed that supply chain expectations for production volumes are relatively high.

Ultra-flat, moderately sized, and affordably priced—there is simply no reason for the iPhone Fold to fail. At least on the supply side, inventory expectations are quite substantial. However, if sales do end up flopping... Apple's stock price is going to take a nosedive.

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable iPhone are expected to be announced in the fall.

Article Link: Apple Still 'Far From' Full-Screen iPhone as Hidden Face ID Hits Snags

 

[MacKid]

Fascinating how these "tamp down" leaks always come a day or two after Gurman promising a miraculous all-screen slab with under-panel infrared and Touch ID... it's like Timmy made one phone call and deployed PR to manage expectations.

 

[Rafagon]

Hitting snags
Unexpected delays
Difficulties
Challenges
Obstacles

We're tired of your ****, Tim.

 

[boswald]

That's disappointing. I hope they have them resolved in time for the 20th anniversary iPhone.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Come on guys, what sort of dystopian future can be complete without invisible cameras?

 

[ThisIsMike]

“Affordably priced…” Hmm, that’s an interesting new development. Of course, that would mean “affordably priced” for Apple, so what are we thinking now? $1600?

Also, it’s absurd to say that if the folding phone doesn’t sell well that Apple’s stock will tank, because Apple’s stock price doesn’t hinge on the success or failure of this one device any more than it did the iPhone Air.

 

[iZac]

I guess it'll be ready for the iPhone XXV

 

[Zenman12]

How is this news? We’ve covered this. I’ve said this all along, penetrating the display with cameras, IR lasers, etc, is really really difficult. The fact (if true) they were able to get the flood illuminator under the display is a technological achievement. Expect a smaller DI for next few iPhones at the very least. The anniversary model will not have full under screen display. I’m 80% sure.

 

[lepetitnicolas]

They should take the ressources they are investing in bringing ads into Apple Maps, etc. and reroute them into solving this type of useful problem : how to hide FaceID under the display correctly and make it great ?

Of course I understand a guy working in ads is not competent in working in micro electronics engineering for FaceID but I'm sure we could find a way to make things work : pretty sure the engineers working on FaceID are wasting time in simple tasks every day (making covfefe, driving, phone calls, answering emails, etc.). I'm sure for those simple time consuming tasks we could take some dude which was "wasting" his time creating new ways to make ads more invasive and put him on that. He'll do a good job and save time for the engineers.

 

[HouseLannister]

I just continue to feel that Apple should have gone the under-screen sonic fingerprint sensor route years ago. They are lightning fast and never fail me. Pixel even combines this with secure facial recognition using just the selfie cam, which works about as well as FaceID as long as you are in good light. Then all they need to work on is making the camera under display, a much simpler challenge. Nubia has done a decent job with the 16MP under-display selfie cam on their RedMagic phones. It's still not great, but it is far better than Samsung had done with the 4MP on the Z Fold 6.

 

[David9Points]

Does anyone remember a time when Apple were pioneers and visionaries. It was those days when they lead the innovation, instead of playing catch up.

 

[Zenman12]

Come on guys, what sort of dystopian future can be complete without invisible cameras?

Hey I wouldn’t mind living in Blade Runner.

 

[Paddle1]

This is a "problem" they made themselves by removing Touch ID. Coincidentally the new expensive foldable won't need such a large cutout.

 

[xraydoc]

iPhone Fold reasonably priced? Wasn't it rumored to be $2000+?

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

My Pixel 10 Pro XL has both 🙂

 

[IIGS User]

Does anyone remember a time when Apple were pioneers and visionaries. It was those days when they lead the innovation, instead of playing catch up.

Profits are more important than pioneering vision.

When you have an almost $4 TRILLION market cap and $110 BILLION in profits a year you can afford to pony up and buy the most brilliant engineers in the world to make **** work. throwing a couple billion into R&D to come back with some really incredible stuff is totally doable.

Timmy isn't interested. He's a bottom line guy. Apple needs a visionary, not a been counter at the helm.

 

[Kylo83]

This is Apple we are talking about we will still have camera cut out for another 5 years, it takes like 4 years just to make Dynamic Island smaller. The innovation on the IPhone is so small and slow

 

[HouseLannister]

The innovation on the IPhone is so small and slow

Depends on what you want them to innovate on. I think getting all the back cameras to 48 MP and adding centerstage to the selfie cam were huge innovations this year. Also, the RAM very quickly went from 6 GB to 8 GB to 12 GB in recent years.

 

[DocMultimedia]

Until Gurman confirms the rumor it can't possibly be true. 🤪

 

[Kylo83]

Depends on what you want them to innovate on. I think getting all the back cameras to 48 MP and adding centerstage to the selfie cam were huge innovations this year. Also, the RAM very quickly went from 6 GB to 8 GB to 12 GB in recent years.

Nonsense I’m a photographer, they might be labeled all 48mb but they don’t all give the same quality, still the main lens is the best for quality, megapixel is marketing anyways they are not real 48mp sensors

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

Incremental reductions to Dynamic Island? 1mm square all round will do nicely as a compromise until you can go under the hood. But Apple will milk the situation as usual ......so battery upgrades continued until that awful black blob on the screen completely vanishes.

 

[The Game 161]

That's disappointing. I hope they have them resolved in time for the 20th anniversary iPhone.

Seems very unlikely

Think all screen is at least 3-4 years away

 

[M4irmidnight]

Ju

Apple's progress toward under-display Face ID and a fully uninterrupted iPhone display is encountering ongoing challenges, with a new report indicating that the company is likely to focus on incremental reductions to the Dynamic Island rather than major front-facing design changes in the near term.

A new post from Weibo user "Fixed Focus Digital" suggests that Apple's development of under-display technologies is not advancing as smoothly as previously anticipated, casting doubt on expectations for significant front-facing design changes in upcoming iPhone models. According to the leaker, Apple's near-term approach is expected to prioritize refining existing solutions rather than introducing a fully hidden front camera and Face ID system.

The latest information aligns with a growing body of mixed reports surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro models. Earlier claims from multiple sources, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and display industry analyst Ross Young, indicated that Apple would reduce the size of the Dynamic Island, likely by relocating some Face ID components beneath the display.

Other sources have cast doubt on the extent of these changes. Weibo leaker "Digital Chat Station" recently claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro models may reuse much of their existing front-facing design, with Face ID and the Dynamic Island remaining "largely unchanged" and more ambitious under-display implementations pushed to a later generation.

In the same series of posts, Fixed Focus Digital also commented on Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, describing the device as "ultra-flat, moderately sized, and affordably priced," and claimed that supply chain expectations for production volumes are relatively high.



The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's first foldable iPhone are expected to be announced in the fall.

Article Link: Apple Still 'Far From' Full-Screen iPhone as Hidden Face ID Hits Snags

just give me Touch ID back under the screen or in the power button like iPad.

 

[The Game 161]

I just continue to feel that Apple should have gone the under-screen sonic fingerprint sensor route years ago. They are lightning fast and never fail me. Pixel even combines this with secure facial recognition using just the selfie cam, which works about as well as FaceID as long as you are in good light. Then all they need to work on is making the camera under display, a much simpler challenge. Nubia has done a decent job with the 16MP under-display selfie cam on their RedMagic phones. It's still not great, but it is far better than Samsung had done with the 4MP on the Z Fold 6.

View attachment 2616318

Agreed, working great for me and perfect on a desk

 

[phuklok1]

i have a simple solution, no notch or island - just allow a few millimeters of blank glass space at the top and bottom -put your camera and face id in them and use the remaining space for front firing stereo speakers - hell, you could even fit a behind glass thumb reader at the bottom of the screen too since there would now be a few mm of space there as well for the lower speaker/mic. the phone would still look like a glass slab that they're after, just functionally better.