Apple plans to shrink the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but it will not remove it entirely. Recent reports suggest the company will refine the design instead of switching to a full hole-punch display with under-screen Face ID. That means the familiar cutout stays, just in a smaller form.
Over the past year, rumors have pointed in different directions. Some reports claimed Apple would move Face ID completely under the display and drop the Dynamic Island. Now, the latest updates indicate Apple will keep the feature and focus on reducing its size through internal component changes.
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According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on a redesigned Dynamic Island for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup that is smaller than the current version. The report also notes that Apple plans to use a hole-punch-sized cutout for upcoming touchscreen MacBook Pro models, and it confirms that the iPhone 18 Pro will see a refined Dynamic Island rather than its removal.
Apple Plans to Shrink It
Apple reportedly plans to place the Face ID dot illuminator under the display. At the same time, the company is testing new camera miniaturization technology to reduce the size of the front-facing camera module. However, the front camera, infrared camera, and Face ID dot projector are still expected to sit within the Dynamic Island area rather than fully under the screen.
Rumors about a smaller Dynamic Island also surfaced last year with the iPhone 17 Pro, but that change never happened. Now, with multiple sources repeating the same claim close to launch, expectations are stronger that Apple will finally adjust the design in 2026.
Apple ultimately wants an iPhone that looks like a clean slab of glass with no visible cutouts. That vision may arrive with the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. For now, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will likely keep the Dynamic Island, just in a tighter and more compact form.
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