If a new report is correct, next September’s iPhone will look significantly different. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is predicted to have a small cutout on the screen called Dynamic Island.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max – Will the dynamic island shrink on the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
The new design is reported by analyst Jeff Pu, as reported by MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol. The use of something called a metalens means Apple can shrink the portion of the front of the display occupied by the front-facing camera and Face ID technology.
As you may know, a dynamic island is a way in which the screen around the cutout shrinks, expands, and changes shape in order to add additional information to the home screen (for example, to display album art while music is playing) ) is Apple’s term for While you’re waiting to board your flight, you can also get flight information from the excellent Flighty app.
Interestingly, Pu says this change only applies to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and not the smaller iPhone 17 Pro. This seems surprising, but if correct, it breaks with tradition.
While there are some differences on the back of the iPhone, including camera features, the Pro and Pro Max have looked pretty much the same until now. The news that this change won’t apply to regular iPhone 17 models isn’t all that surprising.
If you don’t know what a metalens is, you’re not alone. MacRumor describes it this way: “While traditional iPhone cameras have a curved lens that directs light toward the image sensor, a metalens is a thin, flat lens etched with microscopic patterns that can focus the light more precisely. In a research report this month, Phu did not provide specific details about how Apple plans to use metalens in its Face ID system, and how the change would narrow the dynamic island. It didn’t even explain what happened.”
The new report doubles down on the information Pu provided earlier this year, suggesting Apple’s plans are consistent and still pointing in the same direction.
Pu has a strong track record of accuracy, so I’m still surprised by the introduction of Pro Max design changes that leave the Pro out in the cold, but this report is worth taking seriously.
