After large camera islands, the iPhone will undergo further cosmetic changes in the next two years

For months, multiple reports from various sources inside the smartphone industry have all but confirmed that the iPhone 17 series is undergoing a redesign. Aside from this controversial change, Apple is reportedly planning further design upgrades for the iPhone releases of 2026 and 2027.

A report (translated source) from inside the supply chain reveals that the iPhone 17’s large camera islands are just the start of Apple’s new upgrades. The iPhone 18, which will come out in 2026, will be moving the Face ID under the display, and the screen will do away with the Dynamic Island for a punch hole instead.

A lot more importantly, in my opinion, the iPhone that will come out in 2027 will finally feature a screen with no cutouts. The Face ID as well as the front selfie camera will be moved under the display, making for an iPhone with a truly full-screen front. This is something that I have been hoping for for a very long time, especially because other phone manufacturers may follow suit.



2027 will be the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, and Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone Pro model as well as the long-rumored foldable iPhone. Reports about the new Pro model indicate that it will focus on a mostly glass-based design. The iPhone with a screen without any cutouts might just be that new Pro model.

Apple popularized the trend of notches on phone displays after the Sharp Aquos S2 first sported one back in 2017. This also gave birth to the punch hole design that most modern smartphones still use. As someone who refuses to compromise on the display of a device, I cannot wait for the industry to pivot back to cutout-free screens. Hopefully, under-display cameras will be good enough by 2027 for Apple to not abort its current plan.

After multiple years of the same design being used each year for a new iPhone launch, I’m glad that Apple is being more experimental with its phones. Naturally, like the rear camera islands on the iPhone 17 Pro, not all of these changes will be well received. There will even likely be certain people who would not want the Dynamic Island or punch hole cutouts gone.

I, however, cannot wait to leave notches and other distractions on phone displays behind for good.