The iPhone 14 won't rely entirely on a hole-punch cutout to house the TrueDepth camera system, possibly meaning Apple may retain the notch alongside a hole-punch design, according to a new rumor from Weibo.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that for at least the high-end 2022 iPhone models, Apple will use a hole-punch design, similar to those of some flagship Android smartphones. Following Kuo's report, Apple leaker Jon Prosser shared renders of what he claims to be the design of the iPhone 14.
Even if the iPhone 14 introduces a hole-punch design, it will be hard for Apple to abandon the notch altogether, according to a now-deleted post on Weibo from @PandaIsBald. The account, which accurately predicted that the ninth-generation iPad would be announced at the September Apple event, claimed that it is "unlikely" that Apple will replace the notch entirely with a hole-punch cutout, and instead, the iPhone 14 may continue to feature a notch but with a smaller footprint.
With the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, Apple did make the notch smaller in width but slightly taller. Apple did this by shrinking the component sizes of the TrueDepth camera system and reengineering the internals. Apple this year also moved the earpiece to the top of the bezel, freeing up space in the notch.
Reporting on a hole-punch design for next year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did not provide details on how Apple will house Face ID on the high-end iPhone 14 models if it uses a hole-punch design.
Today's rumor from Weibo claims that Touch ID will not be making an appearance under the display next year, meaning Face ID may continue to be the only biometric authentication option available to iPhone 14 users.
