Apple iPhone 16 Pro still expected to use under-screen Face ID

A report from Korean media The Elec said Apple is still expected to adopt under-screen Face ID technology next year, which will provide a more usable display area for iPhone 16 Pro models.

Last year Ross Young, a leading display industry consultant, said that Apple would adopt an under-screen Face ID on the iPhone 16 Pro model in 2024, followed by an under-screen Face ID and an under-screen front-facing camera on the iPhone 18 Pro model in 2026.

According to a new report from The Elec, given the current state of smartphone production processes, Apple shouldn’t have much trouble securing the technology needed for external light to penetrate the display and enter the TrueDepth camera system.

The report says, “From a display perspective, under-screen Face ID works on the same principle as the UPC (under-screen camera) that Samsung Display is using in Samsung Electronics’ foldable Galaxy Z Fold series. The camera lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use. Currently, in order to implement UPC, the camera module can only be specified at the 4-megapixel level. This is because the UPC space must be divided so that part of it supports the display function and another part supports the camera function by receiving external light, and today’s premium smartphones have front-facing camera specifications well in excess of 10 megapixels.”

“If current trends continue,” the report added, “Apple could have off-screen Face ID in the non-Pro iPhone lineup by 2025, and UPC in the Pro iPhone lineup by 2026. “

Apple’s iPhone Pro Edition models will generally be the first to adopt the new display technology, and just as the iPhone 14 Pro Series had the exclusive Dynamic Island last year, while the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus retained the bangs, this year the Dynamic Island is expected to appear on all iPhone 15 models.