The iPhone 18 Pro Max Has a Hidden Face ID Secret…
Apple managed to shrink the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but the real surprise is what it changed underneath the display.
During my teardown, I compared its screen with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and noticed something unusual. One of the sensor openings wasn't where I expected it to be.
Something Is Different About the Display
We placed the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro Max displays side by side to compare their internal layouts. Looking at the top of the iPhone 17 Pro Max screen, you can see three openings associated with the front-facing sensor system.
But the iPhone 18 Pro Max is different. There are only two openings grouped together at the top, while a third sits much farther away.
That third opening is the interesting part. And that small change reveals something much more interesting.
Apple Moved a Face ID Sensor Beneath the Display
The relocated opening belongs to an infrared sensor used by Face ID. Instead of keeping it inside the main Dynamic Island area, Apple positioned it beneath the display near the corner.
That's how Apple managed to shrink the Dynamic Island without removing Face ID. But don't confuse this with an under-display selfie camera. The regular front-facing camera still uses the visible cutout. It's one of the Face ID sensors that has moved.
You Can Actually See Where Apple Hid It
Here's the cool part. By shining a flashlight through the display, I was able to reveal the hidden opening near the corner. From the outside, you'd probably never notice it. But once you see what's underneath, the smaller Dynamic Island makes a lot more sense.
Final Thoughts
Apple didn't just shrink the cutout. It rearranged part of the Face ID hardware to make it possible. It's a small visual change with some interesting engineering behind it. And that's exactly why I love taking these phones apart.
See you in the next article!
