Apple’s next flagship series, the iPhone 18 Pro, is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing updates in years not just for its performance and camera improvements, but for notable design changes that could arrive with the 2026 lineup. According to the latest industry whispers, Apple is planning two distinct screen sizes for the iPhone 18 Pro models, and for the first time in an iPhone, the company is rumored to adopt under-display Face ID technology. These changes signal Apple’s ongoing effort to refine the form factor and modernize how users interact with the device.
If the rumors prove true, the iPhone 18 Pro may mark a turning point in Apple’s approach to both display design and biometric authentication, a shift that could carry broader implications for the smartphone market as a whole.
Apple’s Pro lineup has traditionally offered two screen sizes to appeal to a broad range of users, and the iPhone 18 Pro series appears set to continue this pattern:
- A standard Pro model with a more compact display
- A Pro Max model featuring a larger screen for users who prioritize immersive viewing and productivity
Leaked information suggests that the standard iPhone 18 Pro will have a display around 6.3 to 6.4 inches, while the larger Pro Max may offer a screen between 6.8 and 6.9 inches. These sizes would place them slightly above the previous generation, giving Apple room to enhance not just screen real estate, but also internal battery capacity and spatial audio experience.
Apple traditionally balances size increases with ergonomic considerations, ensuring devices don’t become too unwieldy. Industry sources believe the company will retain a familiar flat-edge design language, but with thinner bezels that allow for more screen within roughly the same chassis footprint as current models.
Under-Display Face ID: A Big Design Shift
Perhaps the most significant rumor centers on Apple integrating under-display Face ID, a move that could eliminate the notch or pill/capsule area at the top of the display that has housed Face ID sensors and the front camera for years.
Under-display Face ID refers to placing the necessary sensors beneath the display glass where they are hidden from view and only activate when needed. This would create a seamless, uninterrupted screen surface, aligning the iPhone 18 Pro more closely with a true full-screen experience.
Several key advantages are associated with this rumored shift:
- Improved screen cohesion: With sensors under the display, users won’t see cutouts for the Face ID system — making videos, games, and immersive content feel more natural.
- A step toward uniform design: Many Android competitors have already moved to under-display or near-invisible sensors, and Apple adopting this would unify the iPhone’s appearance with current design trends.
- New UI opportunities: A truly uninterrupted screen provides Apple with creative flexibility for interface elements and app design.
Analysts caution that under-display Face ID is a complex technology to implement. It requires optical systems that can peer through the display without degrading biometric accuracy or speed, a challenge that Apple is said to be tackling using custom sensor arrays and machine learning algorithms to interpret partially obscured data.
Face ID has been one of Apple’s hallmark features since its introduction in 2017, prized for its accuracy and security. Traditionally, it has required a suite of sensors including infrared cameras, dot projectors, and flood illuminators, all visible above the display.
Under-display systems must solve several technical challenges:
- Sensor performance through OLED pixels: Display pixels can interfere with infrared light used in biometric scanning, meaning Apple would need to innovate hardware and software compensation.
- Speed and reliability: Any reduction in responsiveness compared to the current Face ID implementation could risk a poorer experience, so Apple’s engineering teams are likely focused on matching or exceeding the performance users expect.
- Low-light and mask-friendly detection: Past Face ID systems have struggled with certain lighting conditions and facial coverings; under-display tech must address these edge cases.
Apple’s ongoing efforts to refine Face ID include machine-learning enhancements that allow the system to better recognize faces and adjust to environmental conditions. Integrating these improvements with an under-display approach could deliver both aesthetic and functional gains provided Apple can maintain its high standards for security and speed.
Rumors of under-display Face ID have circulated for several years, but early iterations of the technology appeared unreliable or too costly. Recent reports suggest that Apple’s supply partners particularly display and sensor manufacturers have progressed to the point where mass production could be viable without crippling premiums.
Analysts see this as a technology that could be first introduced on the Pro Max model before trickling down, given that the larger chassis allows more internal space for prototype components and additional calibration hardware.
If Apple successfully integrates under-display Face ID in both the Pro and Pro Max models, it could accelerate adoption across the industry and place pressure on competitors to further refine their own under-display sensing technologies.
Security remains a key consideration for Apple. Face ID isn’t just a convenience feature, it’s part of Apple’s broader privacy and authentication ecosystem, integrated with Apple Pay, password autofill, secure document access, and more. Any shift to under-display technology must preserve, if not enhance, the current security guarantees that users have come to rely on.
Apple reportedly uses a combination of neural network models and secure enclave processing to convert biometric data into encrypted authentication keys. Whether these systems can operate with equal confidence using sub-display sensors is still a subject of speculation but industry sources suggest that Apple’s engineers consider the technology ‘production-ready’ in early prototypes.
Apple typically announces new iPhone hardware in September, and a September 2026 reveal for the iPhone 18 lineup fits the company’s history. Pre-orders would follow soon after, with devices typically available in stores within one to two weeks.
Apple is also rumored to refine other aspects of the Pro lineup alongside display and sensor upgrades including faster chips, improved camera systems, and deeper AI integration making the iPhone 18 Pro a potential comprehensive overhaul rather than a modest iterative upgrade.
If these rumors prove true, the iPhone 18 Pro could mark one of the most visually striking design shifts in recent years with its rumored under-display Face ID and updated screen sizes. By blending a larger, more immersive display with cutting-edge biometrics, Apple may be redefining what users expect from flagship smartphones.
The shift also underscores Apple’s continued commitment to integrating hardware innovation with design aesthetics, a philosophy that has defined many of its most successful product transitions.
As Apple gears up for the next iPhone cycle, all eyes will be on how these rumored changes evolve from whispers into the next generation of phones millions will use every day.
