When the iPhone 14 Pro arrives this fall, there’s a very good chance that it won’t have a notch. Numerous rumors, including schematics leaked just this week, point to Apple switching to a hole+pill cutout design that significantly trims the area around the camera.
The iPhone 15 might take it one step further. According to a report in Korean publication The Elec, Samsung is working on a new under-panel camera technology for Apple to hide the Face ID components in the 2023 iPhone. The report says the tech is only for the sensors related to Face ID and not for the selfie camera, which would still need a hole.
The new tech will reportedly hide the sensors when not in use, in a manner similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s selfie camera. However, that camera received widespread criticism for both how it looks and how it functions. Apple is obviously extremely particular when it comes to its displays, so the company is surely working closely with Samsung to ensure the in-display sensors are invisible to the naked eye. The report goes into detail about the development of the new screen, which includes transparent cathodes that “absorb light from the outside at the same time.”
The Elec says that while Samsung uses “laser drilling” for its under-display cameras, Apple has opted for a different method and is “looking for alternative options.”
Granted, it’s very early in the process and it’s entirely possible that this new screen might not be ready for the iPhone 15. Still, Apple is clearly looking to eliminate the notch after using it for five iPhone generations.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.