Under-screen Face ID always seems to be a year away, and the latest rumor now pins it to the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models.
iPhone 15 always-on display
Writing on X/Twitter in April, Display Supply Consultants’ Ross Young’s original roadmap claimed that an under-screen Face ID iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max would replace the existing camera notch with only pinhole front-facing cameras.
However, Young has tweaked that a bit. He says he has heard that under-screen Face ID is being pushed back a year to 2026.
If his revised prediction is correct, the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will now be the first to replace the notch and use under-screen Face ID. Non-Pro models of the iPhone may not gain an under-screen Face ID feature until the iPhone 19, arriving in late 2027.
Young also predicted technical changes to the iPhone 17 range, including a move from low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) to low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) across all models in 2025. Since the iPhone 14 Pro, the LTPO display is what allows the Pro models to have an always-on display while preserving battery life.
Young sticks by his prediction that all models of the iPhone 17, expected in the fall of 2025, will use an LTPO backplane. This suggests the “always-on” feature will become standard across all models.
Alex Mitchell is your go-to expert for all things mobile. With a passion for the latest smartphones, apps, and mobile innovations, Alex provides in-depth reviews, insightful analyses, and breaking news about the ever-evolving world of mobile technology. Stay connected with Alex to navigate the fast-paced realm of mobile devices.
