Over the past few months, few topics surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro have been as hotly debated and contradictory as the design of its front. Various leaks suggested Face ID under the display, a punch-hole camera in the upper left corner, or even the complete removal of the Dynamic Island. A new leak now provides a clearer picture and explains why many of these reports were likely based on misunderstandings.
Rumors surrounding Apple often originate early in the supply chain and are subsequently picked up from various languages and sources. This appears to be precisely where the problem lies with the iPhone 18 Pro. Minor internal changes to the Face ID hardware were sometimes interpreted as major, visible design changes. The current leak re-evaluates these assumptions and describes in detail what will actually change on the front end and what won't.
New details from the supply chain
Instant Digital, a leaker active on Weibo, has published updated information that puts several earlier rumors into perspective. According to him, early reports from Chinese and Korean sources were incorrectly translated in some English-language articles. Specifically, these reports concerned the possible relocation of individual Face ID components.
These reports mistakenly interpreted an internal shift of an infrared component as a visible pinhole camera on the left side of the front. This led to confusion between different Face ID elements and disregarded Apple's typical approach to the gradual evolution of the front sensor layout.
Structure of the Face ID sensors
To explain, Instant Digital shared a schematic diagram of a Face ID sensor assembly. This consists of three modules mounted on a common flex cable. These include an infrared floodlight, a dot projector, and an infrared camera.
According to the leak, the size and complexity of these components are crucial. The IR floodlight is comparatively small and technically simpler. Therefore, it is considered the only Face ID component that can realistically be placed under the display. This is precisely what is expected to happen with the iPhone 18 Pro, specifically in the upper left area of the display, but invisible to the user.
The dot projector and the infrared camera, however, remain centrally located. They are housed together with the front camera in a smaller, pill-shaped Dynamic Island.
Dynamic Island will remain
This also clarifies what happens to the Dynamic Island. It doesn't disappear or shift laterally. Instead, it remains centered but becomes smaller. This reduction in size is made possible by removing the IR floodlight from its visible recess and relocating it beneath the display.
This solution fits with Apple's previous design approach of keeping visible changes to a minimum and integrating new technology gradually.
Contradiction to previous reports
Last month, The Information reported that the front camera of the iPhone 18 Pro models would move to the upper left corner of the display. According to this report, this would have rendered the Dynamic Island completely redundant.
The latest leak clearly contradicts this account. According to Instant Digital, there is no evidence that the selfie camera or other visible elements will be removed from the central cutout. The assumption of a pinhole camera in the upper left corner is now considered a misinterpretation.
This assessment applies to both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro itself. Currently, no visible camera cutout outside the Dynamic Island is expected for either model.
Confirmation from another source
The leak gains additional credibility through confirmation from the well-known X account ShrimpApplePro. This account has a history of publishing accurate information about upcoming Apple products. The confirmation suggests that the reports about a pinhole camera are likely unfounded.
The iPhone 18 Pro focuses on refinement rather than a fresh start
A much clearer picture is emerging for the iPhone 18 Pro. Instead of a striking redesign of the front, Apple is apparently focusing on internal optimization of the Face ID hardware. The only visible change is expected to be a smaller, still centered Dynamic Island. A camera cutout in the upper left corner is currently considered unlikely.
Apple is expected to unveil the new Pro models in September. Barring any further conflicting leaks, the front design described here should be very close to the final appearance. (Image: Shutterstock / umitc)
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