Updated Jan. 27 with more details of what’s coming for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 displays.
The next Pro iPhone will see a significant change to the design of the screen, according to a new report. In recent years, the display has changed in size, but not in one vital element: the Dynamic Island. Meanwhile a separate report promises a striking upgrade for the iPhone 18 display, with greater brightness on offer. And another report suggests something similar is happening to the iPhone 18 Pro Max — more on that below.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro: is the display about to change with the next generation?
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The Dynamic Island is the lozenge-shaped area near the top of the display that first appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro which debuted in September 2022. It replaced the larger cut-out found on all Face ID iPhones from the iPhone X onwards. It’s now found only on the iPhone 16e in Apple’s current range.
Dynamic Island Set For Its First Major Redesign
It hasn’t changed since it appeared, but a new report claims it will be different this fall on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Earlier this month, there had been rumors of the camera in the screen shifting to the left, but this was later claimed to be a mistranslation of reports. So, what is happening?
“The Dynamic Island cutout width on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max has been reduced from 20.76 mm to 13.49 mm, representing a reduction of approximately 35%,” reported Ice Universe, a prolific leaker with a strong track record, on X.
A Smaller Cutout, But A Big Visual Difference
While that’s obviously not the same as a single, circular lens peeping out, it’s a big enough change to be instantly noticeable. Cue comments of, “Oooh, you’ve got the new Pro iPhone,” perhaps.
It may be that the flood illuminator, a component that makes Face ID work, will be hidden under the display rather than visible through it, and that could account for the smaller size.
Which iPhones Will Miss Out On The Change?
A previous leak had commented that whatever change is coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would not come to the iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2. I believe this about the iPhone 18 — the regular iPhone didn’t see the first Dynamic Island until a year after it had arrived on the iPhone 14 Pro —I’m not sure I think that it will miss the iPhone Air 2 as well. First, because that phone, according to some reports, won’t launch until 2027 and secondly because it’s marketed as a premium iPhone.
iPhone 18 New Display Leaks
A regular leaker called Instant Digital posted on Weibo that a Chinese supplier called BOE had, “little hope of making panels for the iPhone 18 because Apple’s brightness requirements for the next-generation device are unprecedentedly high,” as MacRumors reported.
The clear result of this is that the iPhone 18 is about to get brighter than it is. The current model, the iPhone 17, has a Super Retina XDR display for the first time. It offers a typical brightness of 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits peak (HDR), and 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness. It looks like the iPhone 18 will exceed this, given BOE’s experience.
Intriguingly, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro have the same brightness levels, so it makes sense that the iPhone 18 Pro may be heading for a brighter screen as well — it seems unlikely that the iPhone 18 will beat the iPhone 18 Pro display in any way, especially since the current iPhone 17 is the first regular iPhone to match the ProMotion capabilities of the Pro and Air iPhones.
A separate report from Geeky Gadgets suggested that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could have a brighter display, too. “The iPhone 18 Pro Max will debut Samsung’s LTPO Plus display technology, offering brighter visuals and improved energy efficiency,” it claimed.
That’s possible because these kinds of displays are “engineered to consume less power, aligning with Apple’s goals of enhancing battery life and promoting sustainability. While fully under-display sensors remain a future aspiration, LTPO Plus represents a meaningful step forward for users seeking superior screen quality and extended usage on a single charge. This advancement ensures that the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers a premium viewing experience while maintaining its reputation for reliability,” the report went on.
It also says that the processor expected for the next iPhone, the A20 Pro chip, will use 2-nanometer architecture, which offers greater energy efficiency, adding that a switch to an Apple C-Series modem instead of a Qualcomm modem, offering the most seamless performance.
In a separate report, the same site claims that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have an under-display Face ID, which it describes as a technological milestone. This tallies with other reports and the corollary that the Dynamic Island would shrink.
As the report pointed out, a smaller Dynamic Island not only means it’s a less noticeable cut-out but it means the overall screen can be more immersive. It said this fits with user feedback and balances functionality with aesthetics — and Apple is certainly a company that takes aesthetics seriously.
“Full under-display Face ID remains a challenge, as components like the infrared camera still require visible placement,” it warned, but insisted that what it called Apple’s cautious approach would mean “that biometric security and performance are not compromised, even as it pushes the boundaries of design.
The report claimed, as mentioned above, that the first step would be the relocation of the flood illuminator under the display. On its own this would create a smaller Dynamic Island, because a part of it is hidden, and make for a more streamlined look.
“This incremental progress highlights the company’s dedication to reliability and precision, setting the stage for future innovations in facial recognition technology,” it went on.
Less interruption to the display will surely create a more involving effect, though clear issues remain. Achieving display transparency while ensuring sensor accuracy is preserved are two of them and “achieving consistent manufacturing quality,” as it puts it, will be crucial.
The release of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is still more than seven months away, so there is plenty of time for issues to be overcome — or for other snags to arise. And the ultimate design aim — a screen with zero cut-outs or impediments — is still a little way off. But if the reports noted here are anything to go by, Apple is making its way towards that carefully but surely.
I’ll be updating this story as more details leak.