But that’s going to change in a bold design shift across Apple’s flagship smartphones, with the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max said to launch with Face ID hardware completely hidden beneath the display thanks to a leap in micro‑transparent glass engineering. The result will be more than just a front‑facing aesthetic shift-it’ll be among the most technically challenging sensor integrations ever attempted by Apple.
Central to this redesign is a custom “micro‑transparent glass” layer integrated right into the OLED panel. Whereas standard display glass scatters and blocks infrared light, this material is engineered to allow the iPhone’s TrueDepth infrared dot projector and sensor array to work through the screen without distortion. This technology employs principles similar to nano‑patterned glass in other optical applications but is here precisely localized above the hidden sensor region. Apple’s prototypes also embed metalenses-ultra‑thin, flat optical structures etched to manipulate light at the surface level-that solve interference problems traditional curved lenses face when positioned under active OLED pixels.
That makes it much harder to implement than under-display selfie cameras on Android devices, considering the complexity of Face ID. Several thousands of invisible infrared dots are projected by the system, then it reads the reflection to build a 3D facial map. Slight distortion from the glass layer could compromise the 1-in-1,000,000 accuracy rate and 1-in-50,000 spoof-resistance standard Apple maintains. They have to preserve millisecond unlock speeds and reliable performance in varied lighting while ensuring anti-spoofing defenses are intact.
Moving the TrueDepth array under the screen would let Apple drastically shrink the size of Dynamic Island. Indeed, several leaks have hinted that the new iPhone 18 Pro models could retain only a tiny punch‑hole for the front camera – possibly at the upper left – while removing the rest of the sensor hardware from view. The result would be more usable display area and an alignment in aesthetic for the iPhone with the uninterrupted glass fronts of high-end Android flagships – though Apple is likely to hold onto Dynamic Island-style software overlays as an interactive UI element.
The under‑display Face ID rollout will form part of a staggered release strategy. Apple will only launch the fall 2026 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max alongside its first foldable iPhone, leaving the base iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 until early 2027. This split cycle takes some of the engineering and marketing pressure off while giving Apple more time to secure the specialized glass panels in sufficient quantities for wider adoption. Supply chain reports indicate that production ramp‑up is underway, with material suppliers accelerating their schedules to meet Apple’s deadlines.
The foldable iPhone, arriving alongside the Pros, will contain its own set of engineering marvels. In a book‑style design, it offers a 7.8‑inch inner display and a 5.5‑inch outer screen, with the liquid metal hinge manufactured via die‑casting to minimize creasing while boosting durability. The frame will include parts made from titanium and stainless steel, reinforcing the chassis in the pursuit of the first crease‑free foldable to make it to market. The foldable is said to forego Face ID for Touch ID integrated into the side button, which further complicates under‑display biometrics paired with flexible OLED panels.
The technical challenges for under‑display Face ID have already pushed back its introduction; analysts such as Ross Young had, for example, initially placed bets on the iPhone 17 Pro, but seemingly insurmountable challenges around optical interference, power efficiency, and manufacturing scalability shifted the consensus to 2026. Supplier‑level confirmations, including a statement from OTI Lumionics that it will be ready to ship materials for under‑panel Face ID in that year, now make its arrival increasingly likely. Industry cost models indicate Apple will continue to wait for when the new components add less than a 15% premium over current designs before deploying them en masse.
For Apple’s ecosystem, the move represents the beginning of a wider push toward invisible biometrics. Indeed, the company is already testing similar technology in foldable iPad Pro prototypes, exploring how under‑display authentication could further enhance large‑screen workflows and spatial computing features. Analysts also see Apple eventually marrying under-screen Face ID with under-screen front cameras in the longer term, to kill all visible cutouts and ship the seamless glass slab that has been the design holy grail since the original iPhone.
