Apple's Full-Screen Plan: From "Notch" to Under-Display Camera, When Will Apple Achieve True Full-Screen?

Apple's Full-Screen Plan: From "Notch" to Under-Display Camera, When Will Apple Achieve True Full-Screen?In 2017, Apple introduced the "notch" screen design in the iPhone X, eliminating the bottom Home button that Apple had used for 10 years, officially launching its full-screen plan. With Apple replacing the notch with the Dynamic Island punch-hole design in the iPhone 14 Pro series, discussions about whether subsequent iPhone models will feature a complete screen without any holes or notches have started to appear

Apple's Full-Screen Plan: From "Notch" to Under-Display Camera, When Will Apple Achieve True Full-Screen?

Recently, most of the speculations and leaks surrounding the next generation iPhones have revolved around the iterative updates of the iPhone SE series and the foldable iPhone. However, aside from these highly anticipated topics, the question of when Apple will release a true full-screen iPhone remains a long-standing expectation for users.

In 2017, Apple introduced the "notch" screen design in the iPhone X, eliminating the bottom Home button that Apple had used for 10 years, officially launching its full-screen plan. With Apple replacing the notch with the Dynamic Island punch-hole design in the iPhone 14 Pro series, discussions about whether subsequent iPhone models will feature a complete screen without any holes or notches have started to appear.

Last month, Apple held a special event, where the latest generation of iPhone 16 series was officially unveiled. The iPhone 16 Pro series features a larger Super Retina XDR display, reaching 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively, and comes equipped with the narrowest screen bezels ever seen on an Apple product. At the same time, numerous leaks suggest that Apple will further shrink the "Dynamic Island" area on the top of the screen in the iPhone 17 series to be released next year.

In fact, even before the release of the iPhone 16 series, there were rumors circulating that Apple would continue to shrink the "Dynamic Island" in future iterations, eventually reducing the front-facing camera and FaceID area to a single punch-hole, or even a completely under-display solution. It is reported that last November, insiders revealed that Apple seemed to have tested a single-punch-hole version of the iPhone 16 Pro, but this version is unlikely to be available to the public before the iPhone 17.

According to previous rumours, Apple may introduce a new front screen solution in the iPhone 17 series in 2025, namely shrinking the punch-hole size and adopting a design combining under-display FaceID and a punch-hole. However, even in next year's iPhone 17 series iteration, the likelihood of seeing a single-punch-hole iPhone is still relatively low.

Based on current news and speculation, Apple appears to be planning to gradually shrink the punch-hole size at the top of the screen, and the single-punch-hole solution mentioned in leaks may not be the end of the development. Its ultimate goal may be to release an iPhone device with a completely notch-less and hole-less screen, and Apple's continuously revealed patent information provides evidence for this plan.

It is reported that Apple previously published a patent that involves eliminating the iPhone's notch and repositioning the TrueDepth camera system behind the iPhone's display. The patent content suggests that Apple is exploring ways to place the front-facing camera and FaceID components under the screen. This is not the first such patent from Apple, as similar content has appeared multiple times in previously released patents. However, considering the current development situation, such a product is still several years away from officially arriving.

Apart from the iPhone, Apple's other product lines also appear to be exploring under-display camera technology. Leaks mention that Apple may upgrade the OLED panel for the iPad Pro in 2027, potentially reducing power consumption by about 20% and enabling Apple to implement under-display camera technology for the first time on the iPad.

Based on the available information, Apple's future full-screen iPhone plan is constantly progressing. If the corresponding technologies mature rapidly, then we should see iPhones with complete screen designs in the future. Simultaneously, iPad devices with complete notch-less screens may follow suit. Are you interested in such Apple devices?