The notch, i.e. this display notch in the upper part of the screen, still adorns the screen of the iPhone. That will soon be history, but not for all models. What’s next? An expert now reveals Apple’s master plan and opens the “iPhone” secret file.
Ross Young is familiar with all market developments in the field of screens and smartphone displays. His assessments and predictions often turned out to be correct, so you pay attention to what follows Roadmap for Apple’s iPhone (Source: Ross Young).
From iPhone 14 to iPhone 18: Apple’s roadmap to 2026
With the iPhone 14, the situation is probably already clear, the rumor mill agrees. The two standard models still retain the (reduced) notch of the iPhone 13. The Pro models, however, get a dual punch-hole design, consisting of the so-called pill and a circle opening. The former contains the Face ID sensors, the circular hole the front camera. But what’s next after that? According to Ross, we can expect the following technologies in the next few years:
- iPhone 15 (2023): Standard and Pro models of the iPhone 15 all use the pill and hole design.
- iPhone 16 (2024): The Standard models continue to use the pill and hole design, the Pro models now include it Face ID sensors under the screenonly one hole remains for the front camera
- iPhone 17 (2025): All models use Face ID sensors under the screen and a single pinhole camera in the display.
- iPhone 18 (2026): Nothing changes on the standard model, alone with the Pro models, the camera now also disappears under the display.
The Notch is slowly saying goodbye, the appearance of which caused a great atmosphere five years ago:
Apple has time
Ergo: The iPhone 18 will not be really flawless, i.e. without any impairment of the screen, until 2026. There is still a lot of time until then. But how reliable should the timetable be in the end? Regarding Young:
“Given the remaining technical challenges for sub-panel cameras to meet the quality requirements of demanding brands and the cost requirements of panel manufacturers, I still think this roadmap for iPhone makes sense.”
In short: Even if unforeseeable events may still occur on the way to technical implementation, the schedule is basically set. Apple is still taking its time and probably wants to do it right.