Rumor: iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island gets 30% smaller with under-display Face ID

The iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island will be roughly 30% smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro, with one Face ID component and the proximity sensor moved under the display. The front-facing camera will remain in a pinhole cutout.

This rumor was first reported by Ross Young (Display Supply Chain Consultants) in November 2025 and has been partially corroborated by The Information in March 2026.

What is being claimed?

The Dynamic Island hardware footprint will shrink because:

• The proximity sensor moves under the display
• One of the two Face ID infrared illuminators moves under the display
• The front-facing camera stays in a hole-punch cutout (not under-display)

The remaining Face ID components (the dot projector, the infrared camera, and one illuminator) stay in the Dynamic Island. The result is a smaller, but still visible, Dynamic Island.

Who first reported it?

Ross Young first reported the under-display Face ID development in November 2025, citing Apple display panel suppliers. The Information Wayne Ma added specifics about the iPhone 18 Pro timeline in March 2026, citing two Apple engineers.

What evidence supports this claim?

Apple has been granted multiple patents related to under-display Face ID components since 2023. Display Supply Chain Consultants has identified the panel manufacturers (Samsung Display and LG Display) that are producing the necessary under-display components for Apple. Samsung Display has reportedly shipped working under-display camera prototypes to Apple since 2024.

What evidence contradicts it?

Apple under-display Face ID technology has not yet been confirmed in shipping products. The standard iPhone 18 (spring 2027) and the iPhone Air 2 (spring 2027) are not expected to have the smaller Dynamic Island, suggesting Apple is treating this as a Pro-only feature for 2026.

What would confirm or refute this?

Confirmation will come when the iPhone 18 Pro launches in September 2026 — the smaller Dynamic Island will be visible in the physical product. Apple marketing materials will likely showcase the change.

Status over time

• 2025-11-08: Speculative — first reported by Ross Young
• 2026-03-14: Possible — The Information reports Apple engineers are testing the design
• 2026-05-01: Possible — supply-chain sources confirm display panel orders

How will the smaller Dynamic Island look in everyday use?

In everyday use, the smaller Dynamic Island will be less visually obtrusive during full-screen video playback and gaming. The Live Activities (the small floating widgets that show timers, sports scores, ride-share ETAs) will fit in a tighter area. The front-facing camera pinhole will be off to the side, similar to many Android phones with hole-punch selfie cameras since 2019.

Will the iPhone 18 Pro have a single pinhole or two?

Single pinhole. The front-facing camera is a single 24MP sensor. The under-display components (proximity sensor, one Face ID illuminator) are invisible to the user — they show up as part of the active display area, not as a visible cutout.

How does this compare to the iPhone 14 Pro launch?

When the iPhone 14 Pro launched the Dynamic Island in September 2022, it replaced the notch with a small pill-shaped cutout. The iPhone 18 Pro will be the second visual change to the Dynamic Island in four years, and the final intermediate step before Apple moves to a fully under-display camera (expected by 2028 or 2029).

Sources considered but excluded

We considered a Twitter/X post from a Korean leaker claiming the entire Face ID system (not just one illuminator) would be under-display. This contradicts The Information and is not supported by Ross Young's panel-supplier data. We also excluded a Reddit thread speculating that Apple would replace the Dynamic Island with a 3D face animation emoji — that was clearly a joke post that got picked up out of context.