The iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island is making headlines again, thanks to a fresh set of CAD renders posted by X account @earlyappleleaks. As seen in the image, the pill-shaped cutout at the top of the iPhone’s screen is noticeably smaller than the cutout on the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The caveat here is that the account is relatively new, and, more importantly, it doesn’t have a credible track record (yet). However, what makes the renders worth a discussion is that they corroborate the early rumors about a smaller, much less intrusive Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro models.
How small can the Dynamic Island actually get?
The Dynamic Island looks like one continuous pill-shaped cutout, but it actually houses two separate cutouts: one for the front camera and one for the Face ID sensors.
The latest CAD render, along with numerous leaks in the past few months, suggest that Apple might move the Face ID flood illuminator under the display glass, effectively reducing the size of the bigger screen cutout.
Both the infrared camera and the front-facing camera remain visible, resulting in a new, smaller cutout. According to measurements drawn from a previous leak, the omission of the flood illuminator could lead to a cutout that is between 25% and 35% smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro.
The difference will be most apparent on the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro.
Should you even trust this leak?
While the renders look promising, well-established tipster Digital Chat Station said in March that the smaller Dynamic Island has been pushed to the iPhone 19 series, particularly the iPhone 19 Pro model (via Apple Insider).
Several leakers have previously backed the idea of a smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro, but heard nearly identical rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro last year.
For now, the sources remain divided on whether the iPhone 18 Pro will feature a smaller Dynamic Island or the regular one. However, I do believe that reducing its size will bring Apple meaningfully closer to its “all-screen” iPhone 20 model rumored for 2027.
