An increasing number of reports claim Apple is planning two major display updates for the iPhone in the coming years.
First, Apple will move the Face ID sensors under the display, shrinking the top cutout to a hole-punch camera. After that, the selfie camera will also go under the screen. The result would be an iPhone with a flawless display and no visible cutouts.
But a few key insiders disagree on the timeline. Mark Gurman recently said the iPhone 18 will have a smaller Dynamic Island, while the iPhone 20 will debut an all-screen design with no cutouts.
Ross Young responded on X that Apple will use a three-phase approach spanning up to five years. A smaller cutout is expected with the iPhone 18 series, but Face ID components will still be located in that area. Two years later, those cameras will move under the display, leaving only a hole-punch for the selfie camera. By 2030, if Young’s info is right, the selfie camera will also be placed under the screen.
A developer looked at these display rumors and created two iPhone 18 Pro concepts that align with some of the predictions.
Hole-punch selfie camera on the left
Gurman and Young aren’t the only ones talking about the screen changes coming to future iPhones. The Information reported last month that the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will feature a small hole cutout in the top-left corner for the front-facing camera.
Gurman’s latest report didn’t specify the location of the selfie camera. He only mentioned a smaller Dynamic Island.
Developer Filip Vabroušek shared the following concept on X:
This render was created before Apple revealed the new Liquid Glass design for iOS 26 and its other platforms. But for this concept, the look of iOS doesn’t really matter.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that placing the selfie camera on the left could give the iPhone 18 Pro models a unique look. Most Android phones with hole-punch cameras center them.
The iPhone 18 Pro wouldn’t be the first phone with a selfie camera near a corner. The left side is the only viable spot. The rear camera is on the right side when viewing the screen, so there’s no room there for a front camera.
In this setup, the Dynamic Island would either be integrated with the hole-punch or placed in the middle of the screen. Apple won’t ditch Live Activities, which is a software feature. This is just speculation on my part.
A smaller Dynamic Island
This concept assumes Apple is confident that under-display Face ID won’t hurt speed or accuracy.
Young had this to say about the 2026 iPhone design: “2026 – smaller notch as some under-panel Face ID elements remain in the notch rather than transparent under the panel.” That suggests Apple may take a gradual approach, or the screen section covering the Face ID hardware won’t have active pixels.
The same developer adjusted the iPhone 18 Pro concept based on Young’s comments:
The Dynamic Island cutout still looks like a pill here, but it’s smaller than what we’ve seen since the iPhone 14 Pro models.
In this version, the Dynamic Island would function just like it does now, wrapping around a smaller cutout.
This design would mirror what Apple did with the iPhone X notch. Before switching to a pill-shaped cutout, Apple reduced the notch size.
