Rumors from Chinese social media site Weibo are hit or miss, especially when they contain no photographic evidence or name sources. So with the appropriate grain of salt, let’s consider the latest leak from the “Smart Pikachu” Weibo account which claims that Apple is testing a “micro-transparent glass panel” for Face ID under the display.
Face ID relies on a number of sensors beyond just the front camera. There is an infrared projector, a point projector from a VCSEL network and a structured light receiver. So some of these parts may move under the screen, but the main front camera probably won’t, for example.
This could make the dynamic island area smaller, or even reduce it to a “punch-hole” style circle. Otherwise, it’s unclear why Apple should move the parts below the display. Of course, even this rumor says that Apple is only “testing” the technology and doesn’t mention which iPhone 18 phones would benefit from this feature. So, it could be limited to Pro models or even just Pro Max if it arrives.
We’ve certainly heard rumors that Apple will repeatedly reduce and ultimately eliminate its front-facing camera cutout. Although the timeline appears to be changing, the latest leaks seem to suggest that we’ll see changes to the iPhone 18 timeline and further changes to the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027.
