A claim about the iPhone 18 Pro spread fast this week: Apple might finally kill the Dynamic Island and replace it with a simple hole-punch selfie camera. It sounded like the next step toward an all-screen iPhone, and it fit the pattern of Apple slowly shrinking the top cutout over time.
But as of January 2026, Apple hasn’t confirmed anything about the iPhone 18 design. What’s changed is the rumor itself. The story many people shared appears to be tied to an incorrect translation and to some rushed summaries that turned a small hardware shift into a full redesign.
This iPhone 18 Dynamic Island rumor explained guide lays out what the leak originally claimed, what the correction seems to be, and what it could mean in day-to-day use if Apple really does shrink the cutout on iPhone 18 Pro.
What the rumor said
Photo by Avinash Kumar
The headline-friendly version went like this: iPhone 18 Pro would move Face ID under the display, eliminating the need for the pill-shaped cutout. With Face ID “hidden,” the only thing left would be the selfie camera, shown as a small hole in the screen.
People didn’t picture a subtle change. They pictured a totally different top bar. Less black space, more screen, and a cleaner look. It also felt believable because Apple has been moving in that direction for years, from wide notches to smaller cutouts and then to the Dynamic Island.
The big claim: no more pill-shaped cutout on iPhone 18 Pro
The central claim in many reports was simple: Dynamic Island would disappear on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, because Face ID would no longer need visible space at the top of the screen.
Unofficial renders helped push this along. Once a clean mock-up hits social feeds, it’s easy for “could” to turn into “will,” even when the underlying source is a single post and a rough translation.
The extra detail that fueled it: a selfie camera moved to the top-left corner
A second detail made the rumor feel specific: the selfie camera would move to the top-left corner as a visible hole-punch cutout.
That matters because it would change the whole layout. Status icons might shift. Some apps might need tweaks. Even small UI changes feel bigger when they touch the top edge of the screen, where people glance dozens of times a day.
What seems to be the correction (and why translation matters)
After more chatter from leaker circles, the “top-left hole-punch” version looks less supported. The correction, as described by multiple reports, is less dramatic but still interesting: Apple may be preparing for under-display Face ID in steps, not all at once.
This is where translation mistakes can cause real damage. Many leak pipelines run through short posts on Chinese or Korean platforms, are machine-translated, summarized by English-language accounts, and turned into a headline. One unclear phrase about “a component moving under the display” can morph into “Face ID goes under-screen,” and then into “Dynamic Island is gone.”
Reporting from outlets tracking the shift, including MacRumors’ summary of a smaller Dynamic Island leak, points to a more conservative read than the viral version.
The updated story: one Face ID part may go under the display, but the cutout stays
The most repeated correction is that only one Face ID component might move under the display at first, often described as an infrared (IR) flood illuminator. Think of it as one of the helpers that make Face ID work across different lighting conditions.
Face ID isn’t one sensor. It’s a system with multiple parts working together (including an IR camera and a dot projector). Moving one piece under the screen is not the same thing as hiding the whole system.
So the “under-display Face ID” phrase can be technically true in a limited way, while the screen still needs a cutout.
So will Dynamic Island go away? Probably not, it may just get smaller
Based on the more recent framing, the safer takeaway is this: Dynamic Island likely stays centered, at least on Pro models, but could shrink.
That aligns with how Apple tends to ship big changes. The company often introduces a partial shift first, then expands it after a generation or two. It also aligns with the idea that Apple would want to keep the UI consistent for developers and for the millions of users who now rely on the Dynamic Island for alerts and Live Activities.
For another view of how these iPhone 18 Pro leaks are being interpreted, MacRumors’ roundup on under-screen Face ID rumors shows how quickly a “component change” can be misread as a “design rewrite.”
Hole-punch camera vs under-display Face ID: the simple difference
A lot of the confusion comes down to mixing up two ideas that sound similar but aren’t the same.
Dynamic Island: the pill-shaped cutout area, plus the software UI that expands and shrinks around it.
Hole-punch cutout: a single visible circular hole in the screen, usually for the selfie camera.
Under-display Face ID: Some components of Face ID are located under the display rather than in the cutout.
A hole-punch is a visible camera hole, you can see it all the time
If Apple used a hole-punch, it would likely be a fixed dot on the screen. It wouldn’t expand into a pill unless Apple designed a UI trick around it.
A top-left hole could also force the status icons to move. On many Android phones, a corner hole means the clock or signal icons shift around it. That’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a real change people would notice every day.
Under-display Face ID means some sensors hide under the screen, not always the selfie camera
When leaks say “under-display Face ID,” it doesn’t automatically mean the selfie camera is also under the screen.
Early versions of under-display systems can hide one part at a time. The dot projector and IR camera may still need a clear window. That’s why a rumor about one IR component moving under the panel can still end with a centered cutout, just smaller than before.
What this could mean for iPhone 18 buyers (without overpromising)
A smaller cutout might sound like a cosmetic tweak, but the top of the screen is prime real estate. Small changes can ripple into how iOS looks and feels.
For buyers deciding whether to wait, it helps to separate “cool render” from “likely daily impact,” especially when the claim started with a translation mess. That’s also why it’s smart to treat any iPhone 18 design rumor as provisional, the same way many shoppers treated early concerns about thinness and tradeoffs in other models, including the potential pitfalls of the rumored iPhone 17 Air.
Small design change, real everyday effects: more room for content and a cleaner top bar
If Dynamic Island shrinks, the top bar could feel less crowded. Full-screen video and games might look cleaner. Some apps might gain a bit more usable space at the top.
The overall experience may stay familiar, though. Apple has built a lot of iOS behavior around Dynamic Island. If it stays centered and pill-shaped, many users might notice the difference mainly when comparing side by side.
What to be cautious about: early-gen under-display parts can bring tradeoffs
Any first-generation shift can raise questions. People often worry about consistency (does it work the same in bright sun and low light?), durability (does the display layer affect sensors over time?), and repairs (does a new layout increase screen repair cost?).
None of that is confirmed for iPhone 18. It’s simply the kind of concern that follows new display tech. If Apple does change the top stack, it’s reasonable to expect accessories and protection choices to matter, just as they do today with the best iPhone 17 Pro Max case options.
What we can confirm vs what we can’t (credibility check)
Leaks are not product announcements. They’re clues, and sometimes they’re wrong.
What we can confirm
- Apple has not announced the design details of the iPhone 18 as of January 2026.
- Recent reporting from multiple outlets suggests the “top-left hole-punch” claim may be tied to a mistranslation.
- Several sources report work on partial under-display Face ID for iPhone 18 Pro models.
- Apple typically reveals new iPhones in its fall launch window, often in September.
What we can’t confirm
- The final size of the iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island.
- Exactly which Face ID parts (dot projector, IR camera, IR flood illuminator) change position.
- Whether the change reaches non-Pro iPhone 18 models.
- How iOS will adjust the UI if the cutout shrinks.
What seems most credible right now
- Rumors point to a smaller, centered Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
- A partial move toward iPhone 18 Face ID under display looks plausible.
- The iPhone 18 selfie camera location likely stays in the same general area.
What is still unclear
- Whether Apple can reduce the cutout without tradeoffs.
- Whether the Dynamic Island UI changes to a smaller shape.
- How consistent are the supply chain leak details over time?
What to watch next before you believe the next leak
The fastest way to get misled is to trust a single translated post paired with a clean render. Better signals tend to show up in clusters when unrelated sources repeat the same details.
Signs a leak is getting stronger: multiple-source confirmation and consistent details
A stronger pattern looks like this: a Weibo leaker mentions a change, a display analyst hints at the same shift, and case or screen protector suppliers begin matching that layout. When details line up across groups that don’t copy each other, the odds improve.
The opposite pattern is weak: one account posts a diagram, then ten others repost it with new wording.
Where clues may show up: iOS betas, analyst notes, and supply chain chatter
iOS betas sometimes hint at future layouts. If Apple plans to alter the top cutout, developers might see new safe-area behavior, new status bar spacing, or UI references tied to a different sensor footprint.
Analyst notes and parts chatter can also help, but they still don’t equal confirmation. Even within Apple’s supply chain, prototypes can differ by region or by test phase.
For context on how this specific story was framed as it spread, see Mashable’s report on the iPhone 18 Pro selfie camera rumor.
FAQ: quick answers about the iPhone 18 leak confusion
Is Dynamic Island going away on iPhone 18?
Right now, the correction to the rumor suggests no, at least on Pro models. The Dynamic Island is reported to stay, possibly smaller. Apple hasn’t confirmed any of this.
Is the selfie camera moving to the top-left corner?
That detail looks tied to mistranslation or misreporting. More recent chatter points to no major relocation of the selfie camera. Treat the top-left hole-punch claim as low confidence for now.
What is under-display Face ID?
It means some Face ID sensors are under the screen rather than inside the cutout. Early versions may hide only one part, not the entire system. That’s why a cutout can still remain.
Why do iPhone leaks conflict so much?
Apple tests multiple prototypes, and suppliers can build parts for more than one option. Then posts get translated, reposted, and turned into unofficial renders. A small wording error can flip the meaning.
When will we know for sure?
When Apple announces it, usually around the fall iPhone launch window. Until then, leaks should be treated as hints, not facts.
Should I wait for iPhone 18 or buy iPhone 17?
Buying now makes sense for anyone who needs a phone or wants proven hardware. Waiting can make sense for people who care most about display design changes and can accept uncertainty. Either way, don’t buy based on a single leak.
Conclusion
The loudest version of this leak, “Dynamic Island is dead,” looks overstated. The more careful read is that Apple may shrink the cutout on iPhone 18 Pro by moving one Face ID part under the display, not by switching to a top-left hole-punch camera.
Until multiple independent reports align, the safest approach is to treat each new post as a clue, not a conclusion. When Apple finally shows the iPhone 18, the answer won’t need translation.
