iPhone 15 Pro could hide Face ID sensors beneath its screen

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iPhone 15 Pro could have hidden Face ID sensors
Samsung is already hiding cameras on its Z Fold3.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

iPhone 15 Pro, which is expected to make its debut in 2023, could be Apple’s first handset with Face ID sensors hidden beneath its screen. This would reduce the amount of display space the front-facing sensors require.

A new report claims Apple will use technology currently being developed by Samsung to make the upgrade possible. In the meantime, Cupertino is gearing up to replace iPhone’s notch with a number of smaller, more subtle cutouts.

Samsung may help Apple hide Face ID

Samsung has already begun hiding sensors beneath its own screens. Its flagship Galaxy devices now ship with fingerprint scanners built into their displays, while the Z Fold3 also has a camera hidden under its inner panel.

The South Korean firm is now working to help Apple hide iPhone’s numerous Face ID sensors, according to a new report. But we probably won’t see the fruits of its labor until next year (at the earliest).

iPhone 15 Pro could

“Samsung Display’s technology is expected to apply first to Samsung Electronics’ foldable phones launching next year, followed by application to the Pro lineup on the iPhone 15 series,” reported The Elec on Wednesday.

“Apple is planning to apply hole-display and under panel Face ID on the iPhone 15 Pro models,” it continued, citing multiple sources familiar with the plan.

It seems the plan is for Apple to reduce iPhone’s display cutouts to just one — for its front-facing camera — while everything else will be hidden beneath its screen. In comparison, iPhone 14 Pro is expected to have at least two cutouts.

Like on Samsung’s Z Fold3, the hidden sensors will only be covered when they are not in use, the sources said. But when Face ID is required, the pixels covering it will be deactivated, allowing the sensors to see through them.

LG could help out in the future

Samsung is said to be working with Canadian company OTI Lumionics to develop the camera technologies required for new “under panel” modules, which are likely to bring improvements over Z Fold3’s implementation.

LG Display, another of Apple’s major partners, is also said to be working on under panel camera technology that it hopes to ship in 2024. This could allow it to join Apple’s supply chain alongside Samsung for future iPhone models.

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