We can predict that Apple will eventually abandon the notch that has been on the iPhone screen for several years, but the consensus is that the change will happen this year. Now we have a better idea of how to implement this on the iPhone 14 Pro.
A leaked diagram posted on Chinese social media site Weibo (via 9to5Mac) appears to show two cutouts that will replace the notch. Jon Prosser says he believes the leak is correct in terms of what Apple is also planning.
It looks like Apple isn’t ready to put a selfie camera under the iPhone’s display, which means cutouts will be necessary even if the notch disappears. Other components, such as the infrared sensor for Face ID, will also be located here.
The combination of both a circular and an elliptical cut that we can see in this diagram supports previous rumors seen last month and we have yet to see any other phone maker follow this particular design path.
Some Android device manufacturers (like Huawei) use an elliptical cutout and other Android device manufacturers (like Samsung) prefer to punch a hole, and we’ve yet to see an example of combining the two as Apple apparently planned.
The leaked schematic doesn’t tell us much, but these cutouts seem a bit larger than expected. Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected to switch to this new design, while the more affordable iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are expected to be offered with the traditional notch.
Before Apple decided to add a notch to the iPhone X, phone manufacturers often placed the selfie camera, speaker and other components on the top bezel of the handset. The iPhone X was released in 2017, and it looks like five years from now, at least some of Apple’s iPhones will have the notch removed.
The thinking now seems to be the same as then: Apple wants to make sure there is as much screen space as possible for iOS and apps running on it. This extra field can be used for notifications, for example.
But this time, Apple is following the others instead of being the leader. Manufacturers were quick to adopt the display notch after Apple started using it, but most have now switched to smaller holes and elliptical cutouts to house essential components.
However, with the advancement of technology, it seems that the display and camera technology will develop to a level where the camera and other sensors can be placed under the screen without any interruption. However, it can be predicted that Apple will wait for this technology to be perfected before it is used on the iPhone…
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