The 2027 iPhone may debut Apple’s first under-display front camera

Apple is reportedly preparing a major design shift for its 20th anniversary iPhone, one that would eliminate all visible display cutouts by placing the selfie camera beneath the screen. According to reliable leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo and recent reports from JP Morgan, the company is working toward integrating an under-display front camera system that would render the display completely uninterrupted. This technology is expected to appear in 2027, coinciding with Apple’s milestone iPhone release.

The company’s interest in this approach is not new. Several Android manufacturers have experimented with under-display cameras in recent years, but most implementations suffer from reduced image quality because light must pass through display layers before reaching the sensor. Apple has reportedly held off adopting the feature for this reason, investing instead in a long-term solution capable of maintaining the sharpness and brightness users expect from its front-facing cameras.

Reports suggest that LG Innotek, one of Apple’s key suppliers, has been developing a freeform optical system that uses multiple lens elements to limit distortion and compensate for light loss. The technology would allow the screen to remain seamless when the camera is inactive while improving image fidelity when it is in use. If successful, this development would address one of the biggest weaknesses in current under-display camera designs and provide a practical foundation for Apple’s implementation.

While it remains unclear whether LG Innotek’s technology will directly appear in Apple’s first foldable iPhone, JP Morgan has noted that Apple is already testing a 24-megapixel under-screen camera for the inner display of that model, far exceeding the typical 4 or 8MP used in existing designs. The 2027 iPhone is also expected to feature a radical redesign with a completely bezel-less screen that curves around all four edges. In line with Apple’s naming history, the company may skip the “iPhone 19” title altogether, similar to how it launched the iPhone X for the product’s tenth anniversary in 2017.

Combining this design with an under-display camera and Face ID system would mark a significant visual evolution for the iPhone, resulting in a seamless panel uninterrupted by any visible sensors or cutouts. As with most upcoming Apple technologies, the timeline could shift depending on how development progresses. Analysts believe under-display Face ID could arrive as early as 2026 with the iPhone 18 Pro models, followed by the full camera integration a year later. Given Apple’s usual preference for maturity and reliability over early adoption, it is likely that the company will hold back until image quality and display uniformity meet its production standards.