The last time we heard that rumor corroborated by yet another source was just a few days ago, but now the leaker has reposted an alleged iPhone 14 Pro Max panel and reveals what Apple's true intentions for a notchless phone design might be.
Last we heard, Apple was supposed to use a big pill-shaped punch hole where we assumed that the Face ID components like the infrared camera and the flood illuminator will be housed. In fact, there were rumors that Apple will use both the pill-shaped AND a circular cutout in the display to house everything that is now housed into the iPhone's notch.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro punch hole design
It turns out that Apple indeed intends to use an elliptical punch hole, in the way that, say, Samsung has a dual front-facing camera of the S10 series, but it will house the selfie camera, while a dedicated circular punch hole on its right side will be for a Face ID component. Here's the supposed iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max panel from the back to illustrate the setup.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro/Max punch-holes display panel
The cherry on the cake is that the round punch hole is supposed to be reflective, like on the Z Fold 3, and house the dot projector part of the Face ID kit underneath the screen, so the only thing you will be seeing when looking straight at the iPhone 14 Pro/Max displays, will be the pill-shaped cutout.
This one will house the selfie camera, and we are actually glad that Apple won't be hiding that one below the panel, as under-display selfie camera proved they have some laps to go before they catch up with orthodox open-lens selfie cameras.
In fact, the source claims that there might be a new selfie camera on all of the iPhone 14 models, as both the one in the elliptical punch hole of the Pro series, and the cutout in the "refined" notch of the iPhone 14 and 14 Max, are said to be bigger than on the iPhone 13 series, and resemble ones carrying ultrawide angle lenses.
This way iPhone 14 users will be able to fit much more people in the frame when they take selfies, and the Face ID accuracy may be further improved, too. As to what Face ID component will be capricious enough to need housing next to the selfie camera in the elliptical cutout instead of going underneath the display, remains to be heard.
Unfortunately, those of you who were hoping that Apple will equip some iPhone 14 models with both Face ID and Touch ID modules, now that it has started shoving things under the display, will be disappointed. There has been no under-screen fingerprint scanner component attached to the leaked iPhone 14 Pro panel, according to the source, which indicates that Apple may be planning the dual biometric move for a later iPhone edition.
In any case, the key takeaway is again that iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will most likely change Apple's notch-y design for the first time since the iPhone X was introduced way back. Thus, they'll carry an immediate telltale sign you've bought the expensive models, so, given Apple's luxury company status, we can only imagine the rush to buy those when they land in the fall, as has happened many a times in the past when Apple changes the design in a more significant manner.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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