We haven't seen the iPhone 17 yet, not officially anyway, but we have already been hearing rumors about what the iPhone 18 might have to offer next year. And the latest tidbit suggests one long-running rumor may finally come to pass on iPhone 18 Pro.
According to display analyst Ross Young, who has a solid track record with display-related leaks, we could see the iPhone 18 Pro sport an under-display Face ID system.
According to a recent Young tweet, OTI Lumionics CEO Michael Helander claimed that "they expect phones with under panel Face ID using their materials to be available for sale in 2026."
Young added this suggests under-display Face ID could be coming to iPhone 18 Pro — followed by other phones in the future.
At the SID Business Conference today, OTI Lumionics CEO Michael Helander confirmed that they expect phones with under panel Face ID using their materials to be available for sale in 2026. This suggests that iPhone 18 Pro models will have under panel Face ID with other brands and…May 14, 2025
This is far from the first time we've heard reports about this. Earlier this month, a report from The Information claimed that under-display Face ID was coming to iPhone 18 Pro. While another rumor from Digital Chat Station claimed that there could be under display camera tech on iPhone 18 Pro series.
It's unclear whether they counted Face ID as camera tech, but either way it would mean slightly more room on the display.
This won't be the end of it
While Face ID tech could be vanishing by next year, word is that Apple plans to go even further. The 20th anniversary iPhone 20 is expected to have a full-screen edge-to-edge display with absolutely no cutouts, notches, pills or otherwise to speak of.
If the iPhone X was anything to go by, the iPhone 20 will likely be the template for all flagship iPhones going forward. So while the iPhone 18 may still have a holepunch for the selfie camera, the rumors suggest that won't be sticking around for much longer either.
I just hope that Apple can figure out how to make an under display camera work without compromising too much on quality. While the hidden selfie cameras are nothing new, the fact they're nowhere close to being as good as an uncovered camera has always been a problem.
If Apple can nail that, then it could bring in a whole new era of full-screen phones.
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