If you're skipping out on iPhone 17, and hoping to pick up next year's iPhone 18 instead, there's one key thing you might want to know. Despite rumors that Apple could hide Face ID under the iPhone 18's display, leaving only a single hole-punch camera, that may not actually be the case.
Weibo leaker Instant Digital claims the iPhone 18's Face ID will only be getting smaller, and specifically denies rumors that Face ID would be transitioning under the display. "The iPhone 18 series is just a slightly narrower pill," the leaker says. "It does not have a single camera, and does not have under-screen Face ID or an under-screen camera.
Instant Digital has provided accurate information in the past, but he's also been wrong. So all this rumor does is cast doubt on the possibility of under-display Face ID next year. At this early stage, it's impossible to say which leaks might be true and which ones aren't.
Instant Digital also specifically calls out the iPhone 18 series, rather than just the iPhone 18 itself. So anyone hoping to see under-display Face ID on iPhone 18 Pro, and not the standard iPhone 18, might still be disappointed.
What does this mean for future iPhones?
Needless to say, this is the most disappointing I've been since we heard that Apple might delay the release of iPhone 18 by six months — and only release the Pro models next September.
As much as Apple loves to brag about the benefits of Face ID, the fact that it's eaten up precious screen space has been far from ideal. Sure, the physical size of Face ID components has reduced significantly since its debut on iPhone X. But the truth is, I was really looking forward to seeing an iPhone that only had the hole-punch camera.
More so, considering the rumors that iPhone 19 (or 20) could see the camera migrate under the display as well. It wouldn't be the first phone to do this, but considering Apple's infamously high standards, it might end up being the first under-display camera actually worth having. Assuming it actually happens.
If Face ID doesn't get hidden, there's zero chance that the selfie camera will as well. But at least this way the Dynamic Island would get to stick around in its current form for a little bit longer. Rather than undergoing a major revamp so quickly after launch.
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