The Apple iPhone 18 could finally receive the long-awaited design update

The long-awaited iPhone 18 could finally receive the design update we’ve been hoping for for years.

A technological revolution for the next iPhone

If you are a technology enthusiast, chances are you are already familiar with Dynamic Island and the notch, characteristics of modern iPhone screens. However, Apple plans a major innovation : the integration of facial identification under the screen. A recently published patent gives us a glimpse of how the Cupertino company could make this idea a reality.

The new patent, entitled “ Methods and Configurations for Improving the Performance of Sensors Under a Display“, was filed in March 2020 and granted on January 14, 2025. It details several possible locations for this technology, but the basic idea is this:

• Removing a subpixel from each screen pixel.
• Typically, a pixel consists of four subpixels – one red, one blue and two green.
• By removing one of them, a space is created for infrared light from the Face ID sensor to pass through.

The subpixels removed vary for each pixel and are deliberately positioned to avoid large color deviations.

What future for this technology?

It is important to note that the existence of a patent does not ensure the incorporation of the technology into a marketable product. Indeed, it can take several years before a patented idea becomes reality. So don’t expect to see this new display style on the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro, expected this fall.

However, it is possible that we will see this technology used on the iPhone 18 series, notably the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple has rarely introduced new technology to all of its iPhones in a single generation. These rumors are already circulating for the iPhone of 2026. With this legal protection granted to the idea, Apple could integrate this technology once development of the iPhone 18 begins.

Stay tuned, the year ahead promises to be an exciting one when it comes to technology, especially with the highly anticipated release of the iPhone SE 4, which promises to be Apple’s most exciting smartphone this year.