iPhone 18 Leak: 24MP Stealth Front Camera – What to Expect?

The iPhone 17 series has introduced significant upgrades to the front camera, now featuring a wide-angle sensor that eliminates the need to stretch one’s arm out for group selfies. While Dynamic Island remains, it may become less noticeable next year. According to leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is exploring the possibility of replacing it with a small hole for the front camera.

To achieve this, Apple might employ the HIAA (hole-in-active-area) technique. Developed by Samsung and other display manufacturers, this method involves precisely drilling a tiny hole in the active pixel area using a laser to create an ultra-compact opening.

The exact implications of this development are unclear, as the leaker’s message remains somewhat ambiguous. He states that the “screen shape will change” but does not elaborate further. It’s uncertain whether he’s suggesting a change in the camera’s position or a reduction in the size of Dynamic Island. He also does not mention the possibility of an under-display Face ID. Other leakers anticipate the notch’s elimination by 2027 for the 20th anniversary iPhone, with just a reduction in size expected for 2026.

This wouldn’t be the only enhancement: the camera’s resolution could increase from 18 to 24 megapixels. This is according to a JP Morgan report seen by MacRumors. Although this rumor circulated for this year’s models, it did not materialize. Such an upgrade would likely enhance the detail in selfies and improve Portrait mode. The first foldable iPhone expected next year will also feature this new lens, while the 17th and 18th iPhone models would maintain a standard 12-megapixel camera.

Digital Chat Station also put forth a rather quirky theory: Apple might draw inspiration from Nothing’s transparent phone design for its future iPhone 18 Pro models. He had previously hinted that these smartphones would have a “slightly transparent” back. This may seem far-fetched, yet it’s worth noting that Apple had hired Nothing’s chief software designer earlier in the summer…