More than half a year before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 lineup, the loudest argument is no longer about performance or cameras, but about something far more symbolic: what Apple plans to do with the front of the display. Across tech forums and social media, a design rumor has triggered a surprisingly heated debate over whether the next Pro iPhones will abandon the familiar cutout layout altogether.
The initial claim was bold. According to early reports, the iPhone 18 Pro would move to a single punch-hole camera placed in the top-left corner of the screen. Apple, the story went, would finally push 3D Face ID under the display, leaving only the camera visible — no longer centered, but shifted to the side. The idea immediately felt familiar to longtime Android users, since many early Android phones used exactly this corner placement.
Some international tech outlets argued the move made technical sense. The front camera module is relatively large, and a central hole can look visually heavy. Moving it to the corner, they said, would make the screen feel cleaner and more balanced.
But that version of events now appears to have been based on a misunderstanding. According to follow-up posts from users tracking the leaks, the original report likely suffered from a translation or interpretation error. The updated claim is more conservative: the under-display component on the left side would be the infrared sensor for Face ID, while the front camera itself would remain in the center of the screen.
A smaller Dynamic Island, not a true single hole
When the two strands of information are put together, a different picture emerges. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to ditch the current pill-shaped cutout, but it is unlikely to adopt a true single-hole design. Because the camera module remains relatively large, the most plausible solution appears to be a new, smaller version of the Dynamic Island — noticeably smaller than today’s, but not gone entirely.
This new front design is expected to be exclusive to the Pro models: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The other models — iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 — are expected to keep the existing Dynamic Island design.
Display sizes have also begun to leak:
- iPhone 18: 6.27 inches
- iPhone Air 2: 6.55 inches
- iPhone 18 Pro: 6.27 inches
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 6.86 inches
All four models are said to use LTPO panels and support 120Hz refresh rates.
On the hardware side, Apple is reportedly planning a more substantial upgrade cycle. The entire iPhone 18 series is expected to use the new A20 chip, built on a 2nm process, promising clear gains in performance and power efficiency. The rear camera system is also expected to get a larger main sensor and a physically variable aperture. Even the standard iPhone 18 is said to be upgraded to 12GB of RAM.
In the end, the intensity of the debate over a few millimeters of screen space says a lot about Apple’s position in the market. Nothing is official yet. But if the leaks are even roughly accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro won’t just be about faster chips and better cameras — it will also be about making those technologies increasingly invisible.
