★ One More Thing About the iPhones 18 Pro: the Bigger/Smaller Dynamic Island
A next-day addition to my iPhones 18 Pro review.
In a recent update to their review, the author highlights a change to the Dynamic Island on the iPhones 18 Pro. To accommodate the new under-display Face ID sensor, Apple relocated the infrared camera for Face ID beneath the display, situated in the top left corner, underneath the time displayed in the status bar. This adjustment resulted in a noticeably smaller dedicated black cutout for the Dynamic Island.
However, the author notes that the usable space for content within the Dynamic Island has increased, as now iOS can draw content to the left of the new Face ID sensor. Previously, users could view up to two Live Activities simultaneously on iPhones with the Dynamic Island; with the iPhone 18 Pro, three can be displayed. While the cutout for the Dynamic Island is smaller, the usable space for content has been expanded.
Although the pixels above the Face ID sensor appear slightly less sharp than the rest of the screen, this difference is minor and may only be noticeable upon closer inspection. Over the past decade, Apple has progressively refined this design, moving from a large notch, to a smaller one, to the Dynamic Island, and now to a smaller cutout for the Dynamic Island.
The author notes that this is a significant step towards the ultimate goal of integrating all sensors under the display, ultimately leading to a fully all-display front for iPhones.
Written by urgent.news from Daring Fireball's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
