Apple iPhone 16 Pro models could come with an under-display Face ID

Updated on 11-Jan-2023

HIGHLIGHTS

It is believed that the Apple iPhone 16 Pro models will come with an under-display Face ID.

Samsung has experimented with under-display cameras, but an under-display Face ID is a completely different technology altogether.

It is unclear whether Apple will be able to pull it off.

According to a report published in The Elec (via MacRumors), Apple may bring an under-display Face ID to the upcoming Apple iPhone 16 Pro. The technology will sit under the screen and will blend in with the whole display. It will only reveal the cutout designed for the front-facing camera once it's turned on.

There were plenty of rumours about this technology being used in the Apple iPhone 14 Pro as well as the Apple iPhone 15, but these didn’t pan out. This is mainly because the technology has not been worked out completely yet.

Samsung under-display cameras

Samsung is also rumoured to be experimenting with this technology. It had been added to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, however, when the display is turned on, the camera is still noticeable and it ends up shooting poor-quality images. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 did improve this a little bit, but not much.

How will Apple’s under-display Face ID work?

Apple’s Face ID uses TrueDepth infrared camera in order to analyse and map the features of one’s face, and because of this, creating the technology has been challenging. At this point, the IR is believed to be glitchy and it would not be possible to analyse one’s face correctly.

Rumours indicate that the Apple iPhone 16 Pro models will have the new technology, however, there are still chances that it may take some time for the technology to be developed correctly. As a result, we may see this in the Apple iPhone 17 or later models.

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Kajoli Anand Puri

Kajoli is a tech-enthusiast with a soft-spot for smart kitchen and home appliances. She loves exploring gadgets and gizmos that are designed to make life simpler, but also secretly fears a world run by AI. Oh wait, we’re already there.