Under-Display Face ID set to debut on the iPad Pro

Face ID has become one of the signature features of the Apple ecosystem. When it was originally introduced with the iPhone X, it also gave rise to the (in)famous notch, a less-than-ideal design solution tailored to accommodate the complex biometric sensors needed for smooth facial recognition.

With the iPhone’s notch set to disappear with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, Apple seems to be transitioning to a new cutout design. However, odds are that it will not be stopping there. Eventually, Apple might aim to produce an iPhone with a solid corner-to-corner display.

There are already ways to facilitate an under-display selfie camera. That much is feasible, albeit with some compromise. However, Apple must also find a way to do the same with the Face ID biometric sensors. There have been rumors that the Cupertino company has been working on that front for quite some time.

And while the extent to which progress has been made remains unclear, we now know that the first attempts at an under-display Face ID module will not be coming with a future iPhone. Ross Young, one of the leading experts in the display industry, predicts that under-display Face ID will first come to the iPad.

Young shared this bit of information in the latest episode of the MacRumors Show. He also gave a (loose) timeframe for the adoption of under-display Face ID. Young expects the feature to make its debut with an unspecified iPad Pro model between 2023 and 2025. If all goes according to plan, under-display Face ID could then transition to the iPhone.

According to Young, the first iPhone with an under-display Face ID could be the iPhone 18 Pro in 2026. Hopefully, by that time, Apple will have also refined the technology behind under-display selfie cameras. Maybe in 4 years time, we will finally get an iPhone with a solid corner-to-corner display.