The facade of iPhone 18 Pro begins to become clearer, and the first visual leaks all point in the same direction: a Dynamic Island significantly smaller than on current generations. Prototype photos, screen protectors from prop makers and technical reports converge on a reduction of about a third in the cutout area at the top of the screen.
If this development is confirmed, it will be the first real alteration of the front design since the arrival of the Dynamic Island on theiPhone 14 Pro in 2022, after the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 which remained very close visually. It remains to be seen what exactly these images show and how this more compact cutout could change your experience on the Pro models expected in 2026.
iPhone 18 Pro: what do the leaks really show about this reduced Dynamic Island?
On the social network Early Apple published the photo of a supposed prototype ofiPhone 18 Pro where the black island seems frankly shortened compared to theiPhone 17 Pro. In the process, Ice Universe And Majin Bu have shared screen protectors presented as intended for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max: borders almost identical to the current models, but a much more compact central cutout, a probable sign that Apple has already transmitted its files CAD to the prop makers. According to estimates relayed in particular by the Spanish daily Cinco Días, the pill would go from approximately 20.7 mm to 13.5 mm wide, or nearly 35% less, thanks to the passage under the panel of the infrared illuminator of Face IDwhile the front camera and other sensors would remain visible in a small centered cutout.
© @theapplehub
Dynamic Island more compact on iPhone 18 Pro: what does that change for the user?
Concretely, a Dynamic Island reduced frees up more useful surface area at the top of the screen, without removing the interactive island which displays calls, timers or Live Activities. In full-screen video or gaming, the black area will be shorter, therefore less intrusive on the content, especially when the iPhone is used in landscape mode. Technically, the component moved below the screen is the infrared illuminator which projects a pattern of dots onto your face to allow Face ID to recognize it; this type of sensor tolerates being hidden under the panel better than a traditional camera, which is much more sensitive to loss of light. This is also the reason why Apple would not yet switch to a simple punch: cameras completely hidden under the screen still suffer from blur, reflections and reduced brightness, compromises difficult to accept on a central biometric system like Face ID.
© @Majin Bu
iPhone 18 Pro: when could this new Dynamic Island arrive?
According to several consistent reports, iPhone 18 Pro And iPhone 18 Pro Max would remain stuck on Apple’s usual schedule, with an announcement expected in September 2026. This generation would play the role of an intermediate step before a 20-year-old iPhone, expected for 2027, where Apple would aim for an almost all-screen design with gradual disappearance of any visible cutout. For the moment, no price or detailed technical sheet have been made official, and the information circulating remains to be considered as leaks, even if the consistency between prototype and screen protections gives weight to this scenario. If the current form is confirmed, the iPhone 18 Pro should offer the most discreet Dynamic Island ever seen on an iPhone, while behind the scenes preparing the arrival of Face ID even more integrated into the screen.