Apple embeds Face ID under iPhone 18 Pro display, shrinking Dynamic Island

The design goal, described years ago by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, has remained inside the company after his departure, according to the report. Apple eventually wants to place all technology that requires screen area beneath the display, including both Face ID and the front-facing camera. The iPhone 18 Pro has achieved the first part of that plan, but the report said the engineering was difficult.

Face ID depends on infrared light emitted by and received by the TrueDepth module. Infrared light cannot pass through display pixels, so Apple needed to create gaps between pixels large enough for the infrared light to pass through, without making the display visibly worse. Engineers designed a different pixel layout with larger gaps, the report said.

iFixit used a microscope to show that pixel pattern, according to 9to5Mac. Apple confirmed to the publication that pixel density over the module is reduced by half. That created a potential second problem: a section with half the pixel density could look dimmer than the rest of the screen. Apple compensates by increasing the brightness of those pixels. The report also said an infrared pass filter appears to block visible light from passing through the gaps, further hiding the components.

The result, 9to5Mac said, is that the TrueDepth camera array is impossible to see for practical purposes, even when viewed extremely closely. The publication said it could not capture the array using macro photography under different screen colors and lighting conditions. The report added that the array is not completely impossible to detect, as iFixit's microscope view shows, but that users will not notice it in everyday use.

For the iPhone 18 Pro, the smaller Dynamic Island allows support for three Live Activities instead of two, according to the report. In a future iPhone model, Apple also intends to hide the front-facing camera beneath the display. The report said that is technically possible today, but the compromise in image quality is currently greater than Apple is willing to accept. Solving the issue is a matter of when, not if, according to 9to5Mac.

Editor's Summary

Apple has moved Face ID beneath the iPhone 18 Pro display, using a redesigned pixel layout, increased brightness, and what appears to be an infrared pass filter, 9to5Mac reported. The achievement shrinks the Dynamic Island to support three Live Activities, while Apple continues to work toward hiding the front-facing camera under the display.