The iPhone 17 Pro Max may slim down this particular feature

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published October 25, 2024

The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. — Joe Maring/Digital Trends

The iPhone’s Dynamic Island is expected to get even smaller on the iPhone 17 series, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors).

According to Pu, in a research note with investment bank Haitong International, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will offer a “metalens” for Face ID. Because of this, the Dynamic Island will be “much narrowed.”

Recommended Videos

Interestingly, the change isn’t expected to be carried over to the rest of the iPhone 17 series, which is expected to also include an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and all-new iPhone 17 “Slim.”

A metalens is a flat, thin lens that uses nanostructures on its surface to focus light. Unlike traditional lenses that rely on curved surfaces to bend light, metalenses manipulate light through tiny, precisely arranged structures called “meta-atoms.” It is unknown how this change will affect Face ID on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Pu doesn’t explain why this will lead to a narrower Dynamic Island.

Sports scores for an NBA game displayed in an iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple first introduced the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro series in 2022. The feature was extended to the entire iPhone 15 lineup a year later, and it remains on this year’s iPhone 16 series. The feature replaced the so-called iPhone “notch” on previous models. It contains an iPhone’s front-facing camera and Face ID sensors and adds interactivity to the iPhone display.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max and other members of the iPhone 17 series are expected to launch in September 2025. The company’s upcoming flagship device will likely feature several significant upgrades, including a new camera system, fresh colors, and more.

Overall, iPhone users have had a mixed response to Dynamic Island. While many were pleased to see it replace the dreaded notch, others felt it took up too much space on the iPhone screen. The news above suggests that Apple plans to address this issue next year, at least with one new iPhone model.

Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

Topics

Mobile

Apple is killing its never-released iPhone subscription service

iPhone 16 models on display at Apple Park.

Over two years ago, it was reported that Apple was preparing to launch a hardware subscription service for the iPhone — to give people a way to pay a monthly fee to get a new iPhone every year. It wasn't a bad idea, especially with more and more companies moving toward subscription models.

However, it looks like that program is no longer happening. Fast-forward to December 2024, and Bloomberg is now reporting that the never-released iPhone subscription has been scrapped for good.

Mobile

The iPhone 17 Pro may not have a redesigned camera after all

A close-up of the cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro.

If you've followed any of the previous iPhone 17 leaks, then you likely read that the camera is supposedly getting a redesign that makes it look more like a Pixel than an iPhone. The phone is still almost a year away, so many rumors are just hearsay with no confirmation at this point. Now, a new leak suggests that while the iPhone 17 Pro will see a change, the camera module will remain triangular.

According to tipster Setsuna Digital on Weibo, the camera won't undergo as drastic a redesign as previously believed. "My sources told me that the back has indeed changed, but the triple-camera layout is still a triangle, not the horizontal strip that is currently circulating online." The majority of leaks so far have been from different companies within the supply chain that manufacture different parts for the iPhone 17 Pro.

Mobile

Visual Intelligence has made the Camera Control on my iPhone 16 worth using

Using Visual Intelligence on an iPhone 16 Pro showing ChatGPT answer.

One of the big selling points of the iPhone 16 hardware is the Camera Control button. It’s a small physical button on the bottom right of the frame that also has some capacitive capabilities. With the initial launch of iOS 18, a single press launches your camera app of choice, and you can do half presses and sliding gestures to adjust camera settings. It’s a neat idea, but it has some flaws that prevent it from being a great shutter button.

But now we have iOS 18.2, and that brought a lot of new Apple Intelligence features to our phones, especially if you have an iPhone 16. With iOS 18.2, Apple finally added Visual Intelligence, a feature similar to Google Lens, but on iPhone.