The iPhone 18 Pro could see a major design change

By Patrick Hearn Published May 5, 2025

A person holding the Apple iPhone 16e showing the screen. — Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

If the iPhone 18 release schedule wasn’t enough of a shift, it looks like the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models could switch to under-screen Face ID and have only a small camera in the top-left corner of the screen. The news comes from Digital Chat Station on Weibo, a leaker with an inside hook into Apple’s supply chain.

“Well, I checked with the Apple supply chain a few days ago. The iPhone 18/18 Pro Max is indeed testing 3D faces under the screen, with a single HIAA hole; the iPhone 8/18 Air is a regular 2+1 hole,” they write (as translated by Google.)

Recommended Videos

While unconfirmed, the shift would be surprising. Apple heavily markets the pixel density of its displays, and that same density will make it more difficult for an under-screen Face ID function to work. Face ID projects thousands of infrared dots on a surface to create a detailed, topographical map of the user’s face. A front-facing camera can do this rather easily, but OLED panels like the kind used in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max block and scatter the light.

Apple will need to find a solution that allows the infrared light to pass through or between the OLED panels without affecting the display quality. That’s likely why the change is planned for the iPhone 18 series instead of the iPhone 17; whatever the solution is, whether a change to internal hardware or some form of software compensation, will require extensive testing and tweaking before it’s ready for public release.

The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are expected to use the same method that current models do, with front-facing sensors embedded within the Dynamic Island. These models aren’t planned for release until spring of 2027, six months after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, as part of a new launch schedule.

The iPhone 18 will mark the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone, and it sounds like Apple plans to shake things up a bit. The rumored foldable iPhone is also expected around the same time as the iPhone 18, and if those predictions are correct, they might account for why the release schedule is changing.

Mobile Writer

Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…

Topics

Mobile

Leaked iPhone 17 cases show just how big camera bump could be on Pros

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Render

There have been plenty of rumors surrounding the next phones expected from Apple before the year is out. Many are suggesting Apple is planning to launch an iPhone 17 alongside the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, whilst also introducing a super slim iPhone in order to compete with Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge.

Multiple renders have leaked of all the rumored Apple devices, giving us an idea as to what we might be able to expect come September when they are expected to be revealed, and now a set of case images have leaked supporting the previous renders.

Mobile

I’m saving for Apple’s game-changing 2027 products and you should, too

Apple Watch Series 7 sitting on top of an iPhone 13 Pro.

Apple makes terrific hardware, and serves an astoundingly refined software to go with it. The company, unfortunately, also follows a strategy where it repeats the same fundamental design and innovation stack for years.

In a nutshell, you get to see a remarkably new hardware from Apple once or twice in a decade. The year 2027 is shaping up to be one such year, and it seems buyers will be spoiled for choice with the sheer diversity of upgraded products in two years from now.

Computing

Apple could soon fix Wi-Fi access woes across all your devices

Setting up Wi-Fi on an iPhone.

One of the biggest hassles while traveling is the hunt for a decent internet connection, and then getting it to work across all your devices. The conundrum is now mainstream across hotels, lodges, and coffee shops — essentially all the establishments a person is supposed to spend a few hours of their day, but needs to fill a web form first before they can get internet access.

Apple will soon put an end to those Wi-Fi registration struggles. According to Bloomberg, the company is working on “a system that can synchronize captive Wi-Fi access details across the iPhone, iPad and Mac.”