The notch at the top of the screen has been one of the most divisive features of iPhone design since 2017, to say the least. (And it didn’t stop there. The pushback when Apple brought the notch to the MacBook Pro was something to behold.) But pundits seem to be heading towards a consensus that the notch’s days are numbered.
It now looks like at least some models of the iPhone 14, set to be launched later in 2022, will ditch the notch and plump instead for the ‘pinhole’ or ‘punch-hole’ design popular among Android manufacturers. On devices such as the Google Pixel 6, the front camera is hidden behind a round cutout in the screen.
This is according to Mark Gurman, writing in the latest issue of his Power On newsletter. He adds that the Face ID system in the iPhone 14 could simultaneously be moved from its station in the notch to a space-saving position under the screen.
As previously mentioned, this claim fits in with a broader consensus among Apple watchers. Corina Garcia of Front Page Tech, for example, posted images of a pinhole iPhone 14 back in September (and that’s where the main image on this article comes from). In December we covered a similar prediction from the South Korean news site The Elec.
A rumour on the Chinese social media site Weibo, on the other hand, reckons we can expect the iPhone 14 to feature both a pinhole and a (smaller) notch.
The iPhone 14 is expected to launch in September 2022 (but may be preceded by the new iPhone SE this spring). You can keep up with the latest rumours with our iPhone 14 news hub.
If you don’t want to wait until the next launch event, pick up a bargain on the current range with our guide to the best iPhone deals. We also investigate if the iPhone 14 will have a notch separately.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation (using DeepL) and additional reporting by David Price.