Apple is expected to implement an under-display face-scanning system in its lineup of new iPhones in 2024, according to a report from The Elec, a Korea-based trade publication focused on smartphone components including semiconductors, batteries, and display technologies.
The report explains that Apple first plans to extend its use of a ‘Dynamic Island’ in its iPhone 15 models slated for release later this year. The Dynamic Island is a kind of design adaptation intended to conceal the hole used to house the front-facing camera in the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, replacing a teardrop design that penetrated the top of the display with a kind of control panel that adjusts in size depending on which device functions are in use.
Citing unnamed industry sources, The Elec explains that ‘Underpanel Face ID’ is targeted for the iPhone 16 series. This approach would place a face-scanning sensor under the display of the iPhone, negating the need for a notch, Dynamic Display, or any other intrusive design element that would compromise screen size with the need to house a visible camera.
In April of 2022, the renowned mobile industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had also predicted that under-display facial authentication technology would find its way into the 2024 iPhone lineup. The Elec does not cite any particular sources of its own speculation about ‘Underpanel Face ID’ in its new report, but includes details about Samsung’s recent activities supplying mobile display technology to various partners.
While Samsung is ostensibly a rival to Apple in the iPhone market, the company’s display business has emerged over the past several months as a major supplier of OLED displays to Apple.
Curiously, The Elec suggests that Apple’s ‘Underpanel Face ID’ solution will arrive first as a distinct sensor system before a more generalized under-display camera is implemented in future iPhones. Meanwhile, the Dynamic Island system will be implemented in all four of the anticipated iPhone 15 models anticipated for this year, the report says.
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