Many Android smartphones have already adopted the principle of the front camera hidden under the screen… but there is no question for Apple of rushing things. Forced to be cautious, the firm would not be able to take this step for at least four years.
When will Face ID and the front sensor of iPhones come under their screen? To this question, a cautious and very long-term forecast. We learn that a technology developed by LG Innotek could allow Apple to take this step… but only “ after 2026 », reports the specialized media The Elec, often well informed. In other words, this technology could therefore make its debut on the 2027 iPhones, at best, and first of all partially.
“ LG Innotek has begun preliminary development of an “under-panel camera” (UPC) for which the camera lens holes are not visible », explains The Elec. “ It is assumed that this is preparation for the creation of a full-screen iPhone at Apple. Apple iPhone launch with this UPC is expected after 2026 […] ”, we read. Very careful, The Elec believes that the first model eligible for this change could be the iPhone 19.
Face ID under the screen? Be (very) patient
In this case, Apple would not proceed all at once. Initially, the technology developed by LG would be used only for Face ID sensors. The front photo module of the iPhone would therefore remain visible at the top of the screen, probably through a small hole glorified by the Dynamic Islandor by another aesthetic pirouette of the same kind.
Apple would thus favor a two-step progression, and would only install the selfie sensor under the screen two years later, indicates 9to5Mac, when LG’s technology will be more advanced and better mastered. The transition from the “pill” that we currently know at the top of the screen, to the complete installation of modules and sensors under the panel, would therefore take place over the long term.
This gradual approach would be all the more logical since it is actually more complicated to install a selfie module under the screen than to add the sensors necessary for facial identification via Face ID.
To put it simply, the latter only need to “see” the light reflected on the user’s face by the infrared dot projector; while a selfie module must be able to deliver a precise, detailed, bright and as flattering photo of the user as possible. From this point of view, its integration under the screen is therefore much more delicate. It requires more R&D and more advanced integration technology.
Apple has a vision… but it’s difficult to achieve
As recalled 9to5Mac, Apple also has every interest in proceeding with caution, if only to avoid disappointing its users. The company has invested a lot in recent years to make the iPhone one of the best cameras on the market, including for self-portraits. Launching a first model with a disappointing sensor under the screen would be compromising for the brand, its image and its strategy.
That being said, we still notice that Apple has already put things in place to facilitate this future transition. Compared to the latest generations of iPhone, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have completely abandoned the notch and have managed to integrate their speaker (essential for calls) into the upper border of the screen, in a fairly subtle and very discreet.
A first step towards achieving Apple’s vision for the iPhone: producing in the future a device that would look like a ” simple glass plate “. And to this end, LG would be Apple’s safest ally. We learn in fact that the firm would have evaluated the technology ofUnderpanel Camera competing, from another supplier (presumably Samsung Display), but without finding it as convincing as that developed by LG.
Source : 9to5Mac
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