When it comes to analyzing the presence of the iPhone notch, there are a lot of disagreements within the Apple user community. Some feel that it makes the design of the upper part of the screen uglier and demand that it be banned in the new generation.
Meanwhile, others see it as a unique distinguishing feature of iPhones, like the Home button back then. Somehow they got used to its presence from the start and think the iPhone wouldn’t be the iPhone without it.
There are valid reasons why the iPhone has a notch: the cutout area hides the components of Face ID, ie Apple’s facial recognition system that keeps your iPhone secure (although your iPhone is only as secure as your PIN). ).
Face ID also means you don’t have to constantly type in your password. Face ID has replaced Touch ID as a more advanced system, and while the iPhone SE 2020 retains the use of Touch ID, Face ID is apparently more secure.
Regardless of public opinion and the need to house Face ID components, Apple seems to be looking at ways to reduce the size of the notch or even remove it entirely.
When the iPhone 13 launched in the fall of last year, it had a smaller notch, 20% narrower to be precise. This had been predicted by various analysts and leakers, such as Ice Universe, which posted a “leaked” graphic on Twitter showing a narrower notch in October 2020.
For his part, Jon Prosser is the one who confirmed that the notch of the iPhone 13 model will be smaller as time goes on. Really, it doesn’t seem so boring and if you are one of those who hate it, you can always resort to an iPhone without it, like the second generation iPhone SE.
It is possible that Apple will update this model throughout this year, as soon as possible, so we will be attentive to see how this technology evolves and if Apple decides to keep Touch ID in one of its models compared to Face ID.
Will it include a notch or notch iPhone 14?
It is likely that Apple will decide to diversify the new generation of iPhone 14 in 2022, so that some of the models presented no longer have a notch. There are rumors that Apple will release at least one new iPhone without a notch.
Some analysts, such as Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities, predict that the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max would likely do away with this notch arrangement in favor of an in-screen punch-hole camera design.
This isn’t the only time we’ve heard a rumor about a hole-punch design for an iPhone 14 model. In September 2021, Jon Prosser revealed the 2022 iPhone design with a pinhole camera days before. the announcement of 2021.
This would be the look of the render that Prosser shared, which was based on information provided by his sources:
That doesn’t mean that Apple will remove this look from iPhones overnight and eventually remove the notch altogether. With the notch, Apple has managed to create a design that stands out. With the punch-hole camera, the iPhone would look even more like any Android phone.
How Apple was able to launch an iPhone without a notch
If Apple’s plans are to remove the notch, the question arises: Where are they going to put the Face ID sensors?
Face ID arrived with the iPhone X generation in 2017 and has been a feature of all subsequent iPhones since, with the exception of the iPhone SE. Face ID projects over 30,000 infrared dots onto the face to create a depth display and 2D infrared image.
These images are then converted into a mathematical value which is stored in a specially protected area of the iPhone, explains Apple. Each time you use Face ID, your face is converted into a mathematical value and compared to the stored reference value.
If the two values are the same, the iPhone is unlocked. And just as you can never reconstruct your fingerprint from the Touch ID reference value, it is impossible to reconstruct your face from the Face ID reference value.
It seems logical that all those scanning sensors should be kept somewhere. So one possibility is that the Touch ID components could be hidden under the screen; the competition has already shown that it is possible, even if they are not as secure as Face ID.
Another option would be to switch back to Touch ID. Apple clearly recognizes that Face ID isn’t everything, as the 2020 iPad Air and 2021 iPad mini have Touch ID built into the onscreen power button.
We think Apple is unlikely to ditch Face ID and revert to Touch ID, but we’ll look at Touch ID options on the iPhone a bit later.
What would an iPhone look like without a notch or notch?
If Apple wants to completely remove the notch from the iPhone 14 Pro, there are two options for Face ID:
- Let it disappear under the screen, but it may not be as accurate and reliable anymore.
- Let it go completely and replace it with an in-display fingerprint sensor.
- That Apple hides the camera and Face ID technology in a hole drilled in the screen, as is currently the case with Android phones.
The perspective has inspired many notchless iPhone concept designs, like Jon Prosser’s, or some videos showing some possibilities.
perforated chamber
In March 2021, an iOS developer, Cameron Swift, posted three different design options on his Twitter account. These show an iPhone that still comes with Face ID, but doesn’t have a notch.
@OliverJHaslam Sorry for the delay, I finally had time to do these simulations. All of these remove the ambient light sensor and the speaker with induction.
1st- Based on current notch layout
2nd – Based on the 11/12 camera mod (my favorite)
3rd – #2 with a display concept under the ZTE Axon 20 pic.twitter.com/KPLJNwP3wv—◆Cameron.swift◇ (@CameronD_swift)
March 4, 2021
The concept shows how Apple could use the “perforated design” suggested by Kuo. Although in this case the “hole” should be plural. The front camera, including the Face ID sensors, are no longer “hidden” in the notch, but are instead highlighted by three small black dots.
These can be arranged differently: either horizontally (as is currently the case with the notch) or in a triangle. A third variant displays a Face ID under the screen, which would disturb the display of information less.
Here’s another image of what a punch-hole camera might look like, albeit this time supposedly for the iPhone SE:
iPhone SE (2023) in a new Matte Purple finish with punch-hole Retina display
done by aaple_lab | concept based on leaks and my opinion #iPhoneSE #iPhone2023 #iPhone13 #WWDC21 #Apple #aaple_lab #iPhone #IphoneApple pic.twitter.com/HyxdbhkwUJ
— apple laboratory | Ukraine / Odessa (@aaple_lab)
May 24, 2021
pill shaped camera
The option to punch the camera into the screen isn’t the only possibility. Another option that Apple would consider is the one described as a “pill camera”. This can already be seen in the competition, as the Galaxy S10+ from Samsung.
Concept sketch illustrator Behance posted a few images for this purpose showing an iPhone 14 with a pill-like camera in January 2022, as seen in the image below:
In practice, the problem with the pill-shaped camera is similar to the problem with the notch: it will still get in the way if you want to watch full-frame landscape video. In fact, such a camera could interfere even more.
Pickup and hole design
Analyst Ross Young went further, suggesting there would be a holeshot and a pickup camera. He shared the following on Twitter in January 2022:
We now believe that Apple will have a hole + pill design on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models. The smaller hole will not be invisible… The two-hole concept will be unique to Apple, like the notch, not similar to all of Huawei’s pill models… Let’s see these new renders pic.twitter.com/Udt8cTKzPZ
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss)
January 12, 2022
Towards the end of February 2022, another image arrived of what the cutout and notch of the pickup might look like. A diagram appeared on Weibo claiming to show the new design (but appears to have been removed now). We discuss it here: Leaked photo reveals iPhone 14’s “hole + pill” design.
invisible cameras
A final possibility is to use an invisible camera. In this scenario, the front camera would disappear under the screen. This is not entirely unreasonable: the Xiaomi Mix 4 It has a camera under the screen.
The problem with the technology is that the photo quality suffers and you can still see the front camera. However, Apple may have found a way to fix the issues.
¿Vuelve Touch ID?
Facial recognition will probably only be replaced once Apple has developed an alternative that is at least as secure and more convenient than the current one. Could Apple have gotten to the point where this is already possible?
Many people are waiting for the return of the fingerprint reader. Is there a chance the iPhone 14 2022 will have Touch ID? Could Apple ditch Face ID in favor of Touch ID?
It has long been said that Apple is developing a fingerprint sensor that is just as reliable and secure as Face ID, and which can be integrated under the screen. There are signs that Apple has made a breakthrough in development.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested in June 2021 that 2022 iPhone models might have an under-display fingerprint reader. Soon we will leave doubts about all these rumors. When is the next Apple event in 2022?
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