Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed in his latest research note to investors that Apple will eliminate the controversial display notch on its iPhones. According to Kuo, Apple’s current timeline will see the company introduce an under-display Face ID system in 2023, eliminating the need for the notch. The notch houses the True Depth camera system and was first introduced as a facial authentication system by Apple in the iPhone X in 2017.
Although many reviewers gave Apple a free pass despite the way the notch intruded into the viewing area of the display, it remains a controversial but signature feature. Many Android makers quickly copied Apple’s approach (although their facial recognition systems weren’t in the same league as Apple’s), but were also just as quick to move away from large notches to the favored punch-hole selfie camera approach that proliferates today. At this stage, however, it isn’t clear how Apple will get all the components of its Face ID system to work under a display.
Early leaks for Apple’s iPhone 12s/13 due later this year have revealed that the company plans on reducing the width of the Face ID notch, although not its depth. At the same time, Apple is also rumored to be introducing a companion under-display Touch ID sensor, seemingly to give users an alternative method of authentication. This could also lead to at least one of the iPhone models also dropping the notch in favor of a punch-hole selfie camera in the near future. Whichever way Apple goes, it looks like the days of the notch are numbered, which can only be a good thing.