A fresh leak out of China has revived talk of Apple finally cleaning up the iPhone’s front design. According to a well-known Weibo tipster, early iPhone 18 series prototypes are now testing under-display Face ID hardware—something Apple has been working toward for years.
Android-style hole-punch, full UDC, or just a smaller pill?
The leaker, Smart Pikachu, says Apple is experimenting with hiding key Face ID infrared sensors beneath a “micro-transparent glass panel” so they’re no longer visible on the screen. These are the same depth-sensing components that prevent Face ID from being fooled by photos, and getting them under the display would be a major step toward reducing the size of the current pill-shaped cutout.
This latest leak lines up with earlier predictions from display analyst Ross Young, who said back in 2023 that the first under-display Face ID system could arrive with the 2026 iPhone lineup. More recent reports suggested the change might be delayed or limited to a slightly smaller pill on the iPhone 18 Pro, but Smart Pikachu’s post hints that development may be moving faster than expected.
That said, a completely clean, hole-free display — like what you get on the RedMagic 11 Pro and its predecessors — still isn’t happening yet. With Face ID finally moving under the display, it’s tempting to expect an Android-style hole-punch next year. But Apple will likely save any truly “groundbreaking” change for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary lineup in 2027. So, the cutout may shrink on the iPhone 18 series, but it’ll probably keep its pill shape for now while Apple continues fine-tuning image processing for an under-display selfie camera.
Suppliers are said to be ramping up work on the new under-panel modules, though it’s unclear whether the tech will be reliable enough for mass production in time for next year’s launch. If Apple does pull it off, the iPhone 18 Pro would see the first meaningful change to the front-facing cutout since the introduction of the Dynamic Island.
For iPhone users who’ve been waiting nearly a decade for a cleaner display, this leak is the strongest sign yet that Apple might finally be ready to make the jump soon.
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(Source | Image: Samuel Angor on Unsplash)
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