Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will feature a smaller Dynamic Island rather than eliminating the design element entirely, according to multiple reports from Bloomberg and prominent leakers. This contradicts earlier rumors suggesting Apple might replace the pill-shaped cutout with a hole-punch camera and under-display Face ID technology. The company appears to be refining rather than abandoning the distinctive feature.

Apple is implementing several technical changes to achieve the smaller Dynamic Island, including moving the Face ID dot illuminator under the display and using new camera miniaturization technology to reduce the front-facing camera size. The front camera, Face ID dot projector, and infrared camera will still be housed in the Dynamic Island rather than being completely hidden. This approach allows Apple to maintain the functionality while reducing the visual footprint on the display.

Apple has long-term plans to create an iPhone that's essentially a slab of glass with no cutouts, potentially for the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027. However, the company isn't ready to make that leap with the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro lineup. The shift from earlier under-display Face ID rumors suggests Apple either pushed back the feature or that initial speculation was incorrect about which components would move under the display.