Leaks tracking Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup point to one of the most significant design changes in years: under-display Face ID. If confirmed, it would eliminate the visible camera housing that has defined iPhone screen design since the iPhone X launched in 2017.

Under-display Face ID places the sensors responsible for facial recognition beneath the screen surface rather than in a visible cutout. Apple has been developing the technology for several years, and multiple supply chain sources suggest 2026 is the year it finally ships on the Pro models.

The Dynamic Island — introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro as the replacement for the notch — is reportedly being made significantly smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Some leaks describe it reducing to a minimal pill or dot used primarily for the front camera, with Face ID moving entirely below the display surface.

Together, these changes would give the iPhone 18 Pro the cleanest screen design Apple has ever shipped on a mainstream smartphone. Samsung, Google, and OnePlus have long offered punch-hole displays, but Apple held back because the Face ID sensor cluster requires more physical space than a standard selfie camera.

The standard iPhone 18 models are in a more uncertain position. Reports suggest Apple may delay the standard model or ship it with a modified Face ID system that does not yet support under-display placement. The timeline for those models remains unclear ahead of the September event.

Apple’s WWDC 2026 in June previewed software and developer tools but did not reveal hardware. The full iPhone 18 announcement is expected at a September event. Nothing currently circulating is confirmed by Apple, and specifications may change before the official reveal.