The iPhone 14 will bring the first significant design change since Apple introduced the iPhone X in 2017. That’s when the infamous notch arrived alongside Apple’s first version of an all-screen iPhone. The iPhone 14 Pro models that will hit stores in a few weeks will feature new pill-and-hole displays that simplify the notch design.
We already saw plenty of renders imagining the pill-and-hole design and a few iPhone 14 Pro dummy units that matched those rumors. And the leaks keep on coming ahead of Apple’s iPhone 14 event. Now, the most recent photo gives us a closeup of the notch replacement.
Well-known leaker Ice Universe posted an image on Twitter of a purported iPhone 14 Pro dummy unit with a focus on the new notch design. We have a pill-shaped cutout on the left and a hole-punch opening on the right. The former will house the Face ID components. And it’s likely that the entire pill will have a uniform black color. That is, you won’t see cutouts within the pill, like you do in the photo below.
The circular hole will cover the selfie camera, an element that will be visible, just like on the current iPhones.
Why the iPhone 14 Pro needs the notch
Apple needs the notch at the top of the iPhone to offer buyers secure 3D face authentication. That’s a technology that has no rival in the mobile business. A few Android handset vendors have tried replicating it since Apple debuted the iPhone X. But these Face ID alternatives did not become permanent features. Google’s Pixel 4 is the best example of that.
Furthermore, the notch serves a marketing purpose. The notch is synonymous with iPhone, spreading brand awareness with incredible ease.
With that in mind, the move to iPhone 14 Pro’s new pill-and-hole design isn’t surprising. On the one hand, Apple wants to simplify the notch design as it transition toward an uninterrupted all-screen design. That would be an iPhone with front-facing components that are hidden under active areas of the display.
Moreover, the iPhone 14 Pro pill-and-hole opening will give the iPhone a fresh new look that Android vendors haven’t yet copied. People will know immediately that phones featuring these two cutouts at the top are iPhones.
As for the regular iPhone 14 models, they’ll stick with the regular notch that the iPhone 13 had last year.
The leaks might be convincing, but there’s no way to confirm the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro designs until Apple unveils the iPhone 14 series on September 7th.
More iPhone coverage: For more iPhone news, visit our iPhone 14 guide.
