With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple took a significant step toward its long-term vision for the iPhone as a single piece of glass by embedding Face ID beneath the display. This technological innovation is part of Apple’s strategy to create a device where all the technologies that require screen space are hidden beneath it, including Face ID and the front-facing camera.
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Achieving this goal was no easy task and required clever engineering and innovative solutions.
Face ID, which debuted with the iPhone X in 2017, is based on TrueDepth, which uses infrared light to create a 3D map of a user's face. Integrating this technology under the display required emitting and receiving infrared light, which is not possible through the display's pixels. To achieve this, Apple had to create gaps between pixels large enough to allow infrared light to pass through without any visible degradation in display quality.
Apple engineers designed a different pixel layout with larger gaps, while ensuring that the quality of the display remains unchanged. iFixit, known for its device teardowns and analysis, used a microscope to reveal this pixel pattern. Apple confirmed that the overall pixel density above the Face ID module has been reduced by half. This reduction could result in a visibly darker area of the display, so Apple increased the brightness of these pixels to compensate.
Additionally, there appears to be an infrared pass filter to block visible light from passing through the gaps, further obscuring the components. The effect is remarkable. For all practical purposes, the TrueDepth camera array is nearly impossible to see, even when viewed up close. It can’t even be captured with macro photography under different screen colors and lighting conditions.
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While it's not completely invisible, as seen in iFixit's microscope view, it's unlikely to be noticed in everyday use.
Currently, this achievement reduces the size of the Dynamic Island, allowing support for three live activities instead of two. Introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro, the Dynamic Island is a dynamic area at the top of the screen that adapts based on the user's notifications and activities. Reducing its size thanks to the integration of Face ID under the screen offers more flexibility and space for displaying information.
In a future iPhone model, the front-facing camera will also be hidden under the display. This is technically possible today, but the degradation in image quality is currently greater than Apple is willing to accept. This issue is resolved only when, not if. Apple continues to invest in research and development to improve the quality of the under-display camera, with the goal of delivering the same great user experience without compromising image quality.
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The integration of Face ID under the screen in the iPhone 18 Pro is not only a technological innovation, but also a step towards creating a more elegant and unified design. Apple continues to push the boundaries of technology and design, offering its users not only aesthetic perfection but also functionality. This development is expected to positively affect the user experience, making the devices more attractive and easy to use, while at the same time paving the way for further innovations in the future.
