If this patent becomes true, an iPhone with FaceID under the screen is still in the works, but it may be a few years away until you can buy one.
According to Patently Apple, Apple filed a patent application (20230168711), which showcases a bunch of images that have two cameras under two iPhones, with one being described as a 'Future iPhone cameras behind Display.'
Cameras under a display are nothing new - Android makers such as ZTE and OPPO have already brought out smartphones that have this, but so far, taking images with these selfie-cameras results in bad quality.
This is where Apple can come in and impress its users with a new system that not only meets the quality of the FaceID camera of an iPhone 14 Pro, but supersedes it too.
A notch-free future?
Apple is well-known to get rid of ports and features that it deems irrelevant and unnecessary after a certain time, but for iPhone, you get the feeling that its end goal is to have a device that's just all screen and nothing else.
The notch has proved divisive since its debut with the iPhone X in 2017, and even though it's been replaced by the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, it still gets in the way of the display regardless.
Having all of this under the screen would mean that the camera would be able to be used when needed but out of sight. When the home button was removed in favor of gestures on the iPhone X, there was some fear at first, but once you held one and tried it out, it felt natural to swipe up to go back to the home screen.
This feels like the same could happen again - the hidden camera will work its FaceID magic, and you'll get back to using WhatsApp, playing a game, or something else.
However, it's important to keep in mind that patents are often unlikely to come true - but for something like this, it does feel like a natural evolution for the iPhone in the coming years.
Do you want to see a notchless iPhone sooner than later? Tell us your thoughts over at the iMore Forums.
