An analyst predicts that the “iPhone 16,” which could feature an under-display camera for Face ID, won’t be available until 2024 at the earliest.
Rumors about the upcoming “iPhone 14 Pro” models suggest that Apple is considering abandoning the notch. On the contrary, TF Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo thinks that the notch and its replacement may be replaced by an under-display version in a future model.
The DSCC analyst Ross Young had predicted on March 30 that the iPhone 16 would have an under-display version of Face ID. On Saturday morning, Kuo offered that his prediction was the same. ‘Under-display Face ID will come in 2024 (iPhone 16)’, says Kuo.
That specific model’s arrival “is less a technical issue and more of a marketing purpose,” according to Kuo. He doesn’t elaborate, but it is likely to be related to the notch replacement that is expected.
By fall of 2022, it is expected that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models will feature a hole-punch cutout and a pill-shaped hole. The two holes would take the place of the larger notch and give the phone a more minimalistic look while also giving the user more screen real estate.
It’s reasonable to assume that if Apple does introduce pill and hole-punch cutouts in the iPhone 14 Pro range, the concept will be retained for at least two generations given the company’s tendency to retain design changes for at least two years. For the upcoming iPhone 15 series, Young suggested that the pill and hole would be implemented on all models of the device.
As recently as April of this year, Kuo said that an under-display camera system would be available on the iPhone in 2023.
Under-panel technology that could hide the Face ID module in future iPhones is reportedly being developed by Samsung Display. A foldable iPhone is possible in 2023, but it may not be available until the following year.