A new rumor circulating on Weibo this week suggests that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro may feature a Face ID sensor embedded beneath the display. If true, this move could significantly reduce the size of the Dynamic Island—potentially leaving only the front-facing camera as a small cutout. While such a design would bring Apple closer to the sleek, minimalist look of some Android devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S25, the Dynamic Island has become a defining visual feature of recent iPhones. Whether Apple is ready to alter that identity remains uncertain.
Reports about an iPhone with under-display Face ID are nothing new. Similar claims have surfaced as far back as 2021, though none have yet materialized. It’s widely believed that Apple has been testing this technology for years, but there’s still no guarantee it will appear in a shipping product anytime soon.
Recent leaks also suggest that the iPhone 18 lineup won’t stray far from the iPhone 17 in terms of design, though a slightly smaller Dynamic Island could be on the horizon.
Apple’s 2026 lineup may include a foldable iPhone
The same Weibo source adds that Apple’s 2026 lineup—centered around the iPhone 18 series—could also introduce two new models: a redesigned iPhone Air and the long-rumored iPhone Fold.
Talk of a foldable iPhone has been around for years, but recent reports indicate Apple is closer than ever to launching such a device. Early descriptions compare it to two iPhone Air units connected along a hinge, delivering a 5.5-inch display when closed and a 7.8-inch screen when open. Spec leaks mention an A20 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage in the base model.
A bold 2027 vision: the iPhone 20
Looking further ahead, Apple reportedly has major plans for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary in 2027. Some insiders believe this could mark the debut of a truly edge-to-edge iPhone, complete with both Face ID and camera sensors hidden beneath the display.
Interestingly, one claim suggests Apple might skip the “iPhone 19” name altogether—jumping straight to the iPhone 20 to mark the milestone.
There’s also speculation that the rumored iPhone Fold could be just the beginning of a broader foldable lineup. Among the whispers is a flip-style iPhone, reminiscent of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7, that could bring Apple into the clamshell foldable game for the first time.
