Apple‘s quest to embed Face ID technology directly into the display of future iPhones has been a long-running project. While the technical challenges are significant, a newly granted Apple patent suggests the company may have found a promising solution.
The Vision of a Seamless Display
Former Apple design chief Jony Ive envisioned the ultimate iPhone as “a single slab of glass,” free from bezels, notches, or cutouts. While Ive has since left the company, Apple continues to pursue this design goal. Achieving such a seamless display requires embedding all Dynamic Island components, including the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors, beneath the screen.
The front-facing camera presents a longer-term challenge, as current technology cannot deliver the image quality expected of an iPhone. However, embedding Face ID under the display is a more achievable milestone and is likely to happen first.
The Key Challenge: Infrared Transmission
Face ID relies on infrared (IR) light for accurate facial recognition. Unfortunately, IR light struggles to penetrate standard displays efficiently, leading to slower and less reliable performance. Apple has explored potential solutions in the past, including selectively deactivating certain pixels to enhance IR transmission, but the newly granted patent proposes a simpler and more effective method: removing specific subpixels.
The Subpixel Removal Solution
Every pixel on a display consists of three subpixels—red, green, and blue—that combine to produce colors. Apple’s patent describes a method for removing selected subpixels to create gaps that allow IR light to pass through the screen.
The innovation lies in making the removed subpixels virtually invisible to the human eye. By strategically eliminating subpixels adjacent to the same color emitters in neighboring pixels, Apple can maintain color accuracy. For example:
“A subset of all display subpixels in the pixel removal region may be removed by iteratively eliminating the nearest neighboring subpixels of the same color.”
Additionally, removing the power and control lines associated with these subpixels enlarges the clear area, further improving IR light transmission. Apple also suggests that parts of the touch-sensitive mesh could be removed in the same regions to enhance IR light penetration without affecting touch accuracy.
Implications for Future iPhones
While earlier predictions suggested that embedded Face ID would debut with the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16, neither model featured this technology. However, there’s growing speculation that it could finally arrive with the iPhone 17. Several factors fuel this optimism:
- Smaller Display Cutouts: Industry analysts, such as Jeff Pu, have predicted that the iPhone 17 Pro Max may feature a significantly smaller Dynamic Island. Embedding Face ID beneath the display would be a logical way to achieve this refinement.
- The iPhone 17 Air: Rumors surrounding the iPhone 17 Air suggest a design that prioritizes sleekness and minimalism. Reducing the Dynamic Island to a simple camera punch-hole aligns with this goal. Although initial reports claimed the iPhone 17 Air would be the most expensive model in the lineup, recent updates indicate pricing adjustments, leaving the release timeline uncertain.
By tackling the challenges of IR transmission through innovative methods like subpixel removal, Apple is bringing its vision of a seamless, uninterrupted display closer to reality.
While it remains to be seen whether the iPhone 17 or another future model will mark the debut of this technology. For iPhone users, the prospect of a bezel-free, single-slab design offers an exciting glimpse into the future of smartphone design.
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