iPhone 18 Pro: Smaller Dynamic Island instead of a radical redesign

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New, concrete information has surfaced regarding the planned design of the front of the iPhone 18 Pro. Several leaks from China, along with confirmation from a renowned display analyst, paint a much clearer picture of how Apple intends to handle Face ID and Dynamic Island in the next Pro generation. Particularly interesting is the fact that current statements align with earlier predictions while simultaneously contradicting a previous report.

Rumors about new iPhones are often contradictory and difficult to assess. However, with the iPhone 18 Pro, it's striking that several independent sources describe the same technical implementation. Crucially, Ross Young, who has been considered highly accurate regarding Apple's display plans for years, provides valuable insights. His recent confirmation significantly reinforces certain assumptions.

Confirmation by Ross Young

Ross Young, former vice president of Counterpoint Research, has publicly confirmed new statements made by the Chinese leaker Instant Digital. In a post on X, Young explained that this information corresponds exactly to what he had already described in his own report in 2025.

At the time, Young assumed that Apple would move parts of the Face ID system under the display for the first time with the iPhone 18 Pro. He also made it clear that not all components would be invisible. For this reason, the Dynamic Island would be retained, albeit in a smaller form than in the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro models.

What specific changes will be made to the design?

According to Instant Digital, only the IR illuminator will be moved under the display in the iPhone 18 Pro. It will reportedly be located in the upper left corner of the display. Other key Face ID components will remain visible.

The dot projector, infrared camera, and front-facing camera will still be housed together in a smaller, centrally located Dynamic Island. This means that while Apple is taking a first step towards under-display technology, it hasn't completely abandoned visible sensors.

This account has since been confirmed by another Chinese leaker. It also aligns with a report by Mark Gurman from last year, published by Bloomberg.

Contradiction to The Information

Ross Young's assessment stands in stark contrast to a recent report by The Information. In it, journalist Wayne Ma claimed that Apple is planning to move the selfie camera to the upper left corner of the iPhone 18 Pro's display. This would result in a classic punch-hole cutout and would mean the end of the pill-shaped Dynamic Island camera.

However, based on current information, this scenario is considered increasingly unlikely. Several observers assume that details from Ma's sources were either lost in translation or misinterpreted. One possible reason is an incomplete understanding of which Face ID components actually move beneath the display and which remain visible.

Assessment of the current situation

With confirmation from Ross Young and agreement from several leakers, it strongly suggests that Apple is planning a cautious, intermediate step in technology for the iPhone 18 Pro. Instead of a radical redesign, Apple is apparently opting for a smaller Dynamic Island, combined with initial under-display elements.

This strategy would fit with Apple's previous approach of introducing new technologies gradually and only fully implementing them when they are mature.

iPhone 18 Pro uses a smaller Dynamic Island camera instead of a punch-hole camera

With the iPhone 18 Pro, there are currently strong indications that the Dynamic Island will remain, but will be noticeably smaller. Only part of the Face ID system is expected to move under the display, while key components will remain visible. Contrary to earlier reports, a complete switch to a punch-hole cutout is not currently anticipated. The official unveiling of the iPhone 18 Pro models is expected in September, as usual. Then we'll see how accurate the previous leaks actually were. (Image: Shutterstock / KaterynaSypailova)