Apple intends to remove the notch from some of the iPhone 14 models that will be released this year, with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max getting a design that includes a pill-shaped cutout for the Face ID elements and a second hole for the selfie camera.
We’ve heard this rumor before, but display analyst Ross Young today reiterated his expectations for the iPhone 14 lineup and provided some additional details.
According to Young, the pill-shaped Face ID cutout + camera cutout combination will be about the same width as the notch, but it will “certainly save some pixels above the holes.”
Young believes that after implementing the new design in the iPhone 14 Pro models, Apple will expand it to the entire iPhone 15 lineup in 2023, bringing the updated look to even the lower-cost iPhone 15 options.
Young believes that the pill and holes may shrink in 2023 compared to 2022, freeing up more display space. Young speculates that the camera cutout in the iPhone 14 could measure 5.631mm, citing leaks on the Chinese social network Weibo, leaving room to shrink it down next year.
Apple does intend to replace Face ID with under panel Face ID in the future, which would eliminate the need for a pill-shaped cutout for the hardware, but this technology is not expected to be ready for the 2023 iPhone launch.
However, we’ve heard from a few sources that under panel Face ID will most likely miss the 2023 mass production deadline. A portion of this could be attributed to coordination between the display and sensor teams. Of course, at least two of their suppliers would have to be qualified to mass-produce it. Companies we spoke with did not expect it to be released in 2023.
Young also has information on the iPhone display roadmap from 2024 to 2027, but it requires a subscription to DSCC Weekly Review, Young’s publication aimed at those who follow display-related stocks, and thus quite expensive.
