iPhone 15 to be Apple's first with true punch-hole display, courtesy of Samsung
Apple is expected to have a true punch-hole display iPhone next year, when Samsung will help it tuck the rest of the Face ID kit underneath the OLED display of the iPhone 15, reports The Elec.
In order to do this, Apple is reportedly resorting to Samsung's under-panel camera (UPC) technology that made a cameo on the internal screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Z Fold 4 this year will still use the same technology, but for the Z Fold 5 Samsung is allegedly developing a new under-display camera technology in partnership with the Canadians from OTI Lumionics.
Their new solution results when "an organic cathode patterning material (CPM) is pattern-deposited with a fine metal mask (FMM) and then the anode is deposited with an open metal mask (OMM) to avoid the CPM." Thus, the magnesium-silver (Mg-Ag) alloy anode material can cover a place without CPM deposition, letting light through for a camera sensor underneath to take a picture, all the while the display pattern looks uninterrupted unless you subject it to extreme closeup scrutiny.
This new under-panel camera technology will reportedly be used first on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 next summer, and then to hide the Face ID modules that will still be visible in the iPhone 14's pill-shaped cutout, underneath the display.
That would leave only the front-facing selfie camera visible at the front on the iPhone 15, or, in other words, in 2024 Apple will be inventing the punch-hole display phone that has been a staple of Android handset makers for a while now. Apple will reportedly apply the new single punch-hole front design only on the iPhone 15 Pro models, too.
LG is also reportedly working on a similar under=panel camera solution, and aims to hit 40% light transparency by 2024, at which point it may become a viable contender for the iPhone 15 Pro display supply.
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