It turns out the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera cutout probably won’t look all that different
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera cutout might not be drastically different from current models, despite previous rumors suggesting major changes.
- Only the infrared illuminator will move below the screen, while the main camera and other Face ID components will remain in a compact central module.
- This arrangement could create a smaller pill-shaped cutout rather than the significant design overhaul previously expected.
Previous reports about the iPhone 18 Pro indicated that Apple would place part of the Face ID sensor array below the display and move the camera to the upper left corner, leading to speculation about whether the dynamic island interface elements would move as well. This may not be the case.
Today we hear that such reports are only half right and the result of a translation error. The famous Instant Digital leak account on Weibo cleared things up today. It indicates that only the infrared illuminator moves to the left and will be under the screen. The other elements – dot projector, infrared camera and ordinary camera – will be grouped in a more compact module in the center. To illustrate, it included what looks like a mockup image of the TrueDepth module, showing the IR illuminator well off to the side and connected by a ribbon cable.
Since that report, frequent leakers ShrimpApplePro and DSCC’s Ross Young have both corroborated Instant Digital’s version of events.
Instant digital
You can see how the current TrueDepth module is a compact set of multiple sensors and has evolved over time. But the rumored iPhone 18 Pro version has a component to the left of the under-screen IR illuminator in the corner, and a smaller group to the right, which should lead to a smaller pill-shaped cutout in the center.
Of course, if the separated component is under the screen anyway, that begs the question why it’s separated? Why not keep them as one assembly: the pill-shaped cutout would still be the same size, because the infrared illuminator would be under the screen, wherever it was placed. Perhaps Apple will have other components that need to move closer to the center along the top edge of the iPhone 18 Pro, and this arrangement creates the necessary space for them.
We won’t really know the answer until the iPhone 18 Pro ships and teardowns begin. But when the iPhone 18 Pro arrives in September, don’t be surprised if it looks a lot like the iPhone 17 Pro.
