If you’re an iPhone fan, you’ve probably wondered if the iPhone 14 is worth the wait or not … but have you thought about waiting two years for the iPhone 16?
According to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will wait until 2024 to debut its Under-Display Camera (UDC) technology, and will also push Face ID under the screen. This is the year we expect to see the iPhone 16 if Apple does not decide to take a year to launch an S variant, as it has done in the past.
UDC tech makes it possible to place the selfie camera under the screen so you can not see it for a moment, and a few companies, including Samsung and ZTE, have already released phones that make use of this.
However, at the moment it is not an ideal way to reduce the screen space occupied by a front-facing camera. The display prevents a certain amount of light from hitting the camera’s sensor, so selfies often end up being rather dull or dark, and although companies have used processing algorithms to offset this, it’s never a perfect solution.
And that would be even more of a problem for Face ID, as the sensors require good lighting to scan your face and unlock the phone.
Kuo’s post mentions “quality improvements” for the front-facing camera on Apple’s 2024 iPhones, but it’s not clear if he’s saying these are in the works, or simply suggesting they’re important.
I think the real iPhone in full screen will come in 2024. Advanced iPhones in 2024 would take a front camera under the screen along with Face ID under the screen. A low light mode is detrimental to the quality of the front camera, and ISP and algorithm are essential for quality improvements. https://t.co/vWjeZYZUPKApril 20, 2022
Analysis: it is a way to remove the notch
Currently, the iPhone 14 series is heading towards the horizon and one of the big discussions around the upcoming handset is chopped.
Apple houses its front-facing cameras and Face ID sensors in a rather large notch that corrodes the screen property. For some years now, Android phone makers have been using “punch-hole” cutouts, pop-up cameras and UDCs as a way to keep as much viewing space as possible.
However, this is not a direct comparison because most Android phones do not use the same face recognition technology as Apple’s Face ID, so they do not require as many front-facing sensors, but that has not stopped Apple fans from demanding something similar for iPhones.
And according to these rumors, it could finally happen, as leakers believe that certain iPhone 14 models will get carved segments for the front camera and Face ID sensors.
This would be a good first step, but it probably would not save as much screen space, given how large Apple’s Face ID array is – so maybe it should just be treated as a stepping stone towards a cut-out iPhone screen.
If Kuo is right, Apple is clearly looking for a better way to hide the front cameras, and while UDCs are not the path it ultimately decides to go, at least it seems the company is aware of fans requirements.