On January 19, 2026, YouTuber Jon Prosser published a video claiming Apple will relocate the Dynamic Island to the top-left corner on iPhone 18 Pro models, alongside a new under-display Face ID system and a pinhole selfie camera. The report, summarized by MacRumors, says the Dynamic Island would periodically expand from that corner to cover the upper portion of the screen, preserving its current functionality while changing its default position. Multiple other reports — from The Information, Bloomberg and industry analysts — offer differing takes on under-display Face ID and the future size or presence of the Dynamic Island. With Apple expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro in September, the rumor remains actionable but not settled.
Key Takeaways
- Jon Prosser (Front Page Tech) posted a January 19, 2026 claim that the Dynamic Island will move to the top-left on iPhone 18 Pro models, driven by an adjacent under-display Face ID design.
- Dynamic Island was introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 as a centered, pill-shaped interactive area that masks the TrueDepth hardware and displays ongoing activities.
- Several outlets report under-display Face ID for iPhone 18 Pro models, with a pinhole selfie camera at the upper-left suggested by The Information.
- Analysts and reporters disagree on whether the Dynamic Island will be removed, shrunk, or simply repositioned; Bloomberg and Ross Young predict a slimmer island rather than elimination.
- Other rumored iPhone 18 Pro features floating in these reports include new colors, a variable aperture camera, an A20 Pro chip, Apple’s C2 modem, and expanded 5G satellite capabilities.
- Apple sued Jon Prosser and associate Michael Ramacciotti in July, seeking damages and an injunction related to alleged leaks; Prosser says he continues to publish rumor videos amid legal engagement.
Background
Apple introduced Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 as a software-driven solution to combine the front camera and Face ID hardware into an interactive area that changes size and shape to surface system activity. The design decision created a distinct top-of-screen UI element that developers and users quickly learned to rely on for notifications, timers, audio controls and background tasks. Since then, the Dynamic Island has been a recognizable part of iOS UI language, with Apple iterating on its animations and API surface for third-party apps.
Separately, the industry has tracked Apple’s gradual move toward under-display sensors and smaller visible cutouts: several devices across the Android ecosystem adopted under-display cameras or reduced notches first. For Apple, moving TrueDepth components under the glass would be a larger optical and engineering shift, requiring changes in display stack, sensor placement, and manufacturing tolerances — and it would directly affect where visible cutouts or islands appear.
Main Event
Prosser’s video asserts that iPhone 18 Pro models will place a selfie pinhole at the top-left and position the under-display Face ID hardware adjacent to it, prompting Dynamic Island to relocate from center to top-left. According to the claim, Dynamic Island would still expand when needed, effectively “flying out” from the corner to occupy the upper screen area much as it does now. Prosser offered this as a consequence of moving the TrueDepth system under the display and freeing the center-top area from the current pill-shaped black region.
Other reporting paints a more mixed picture. The Information’s coverage said Apple’s under-screen Face ID adoption would remove the prominent black oval that has appeared atop iPhone displays since 2022, leaving only a small pinhole for the front camera at the upper left. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and display analyst Ross Young have suggested a smaller Dynamic Island could remain, not be fully removed — a compromise between hardware changes and user familiarity.
Conflicting leaks further complicate the picture. A Chinese leaker labeled Instant Digital has claimed a smaller Dynamic Island will appear but denied under-display Face ID or an under-display camera in the immediate cycle. These differences underscore that component-level leaks, analyst takes, and rumor videos are converging on similar end goals but diverging on technical detail and timing.
Analysis & Implications
A shift of the Dynamic Island to the top-left would be significant for UI consistency and app behavior. Developers who currently expect a centered island and top-center status indicators would need to adapt layouts and safe-area insets to account for a corner-based interactive region. Widgets, real-time audio/video controls, and notification expansions might be rethought to avoid occluding critical content or controls near the upper-left.
From a hardware standpoint, moving TrueDepth elements under the display and relocating their visible footprint imposes new optical and production challenges. Under-display sensors require display pixels or layers that are optically transparent enough for cameras and IR sensors while maintaining overall screen uniformity. Yields, supplier readiness and calibration across display manufacturers could affect launch volume and timing if Apple is pushing multiple new display features simultaneously.
Market perception also matters: Dynamic Island has become a visible differentiator for Apple’s high-end iPhones. Reducing or moving it could draw criticism from users attached to the current interaction model; conversely, eliminating the central black oval could be marketed as a cleaner, more elegant display. Apple will need to balance marketing language, developer guidance and customer expectations to avoid confusion at launch.
Comparison & Data
| Model / Year | Dynamic Island | Face ID | Front Camera Cutout |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 14 Pro (2022) | Centered pill-shaped island | TrueDepth notch area | Pill-shaped black area (center top) |
| iPhone 17 Pro (2025, baseline) | Centered island (unchanged) | TrueDepth | Centered island hides sensors |
| iPhone 18 Pro (rumored, 2026) | Reported top-left island or smaller centered island | Under-display Face ID (rumored) | Pinhole at upper-left (rumored) |
The table summarizes public designs and leading rumors. If Apple implements under-display Face ID for iPhone 18 Pro, the visible top-of-screen elements could shift from a center-focused island to a smaller island or a corner-based interaction area. That change would alter default system layouts and require updates to developer documentation ahead of release.
Reactions & Quotes
“Dynamic Island will shift to the top-left corner and expand from that location as needed,”
Jon Prosser — Front Page Tech (YouTube)
Prosser’s channel is the primary source of this specific positioning claim; he presented the detail in a January 19, 2026 video summarizing multiple rumored hardware changes for iPhone 18 Pro.
“[Apple’s under-screen Face ID] will eliminate the unsightly black oval that has appeared at the top of iPhone displays since 2022,”
Wayne Ma — The Information
The Information’s reporting frames under-display Face ID as a cosmetic and functional improvement, describing a scenario where only a small pinhole remains for the selfie camera at upper left.
“A smaller Dynamic Island is still possible rather than a full removal,”
Mark Gurman — Bloomberg
Bloomberg’s reporting and display analysts suggest Apple may opt to slim the Dynamic Island instead of discarding the concept, balancing new sensor placement with existing UI expectations.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Prosser’s claim is based on new, direct hardware information or extrapolation from component leaks remains unclear.
- The exact location and technical approach to under-display Face ID — including whether the TrueDepth array is fully under-glass or partially relocated — is unverified.
- Reports disagree on whether the Dynamic Island will be removed, reduced, or merely repositioned; no definitive hardware image has been confirmed.
- Several secondary claims (new colors, variable aperture system, A20 Pro chip, C2 modem, full 5G satellite internet) are circulating but not independently corroborated.
Bottom Line
Prosser’s assertion that the Dynamic Island will move to the top-left corner is a concrete, testable rumor tied to broader talk of under-display Face ID and a pinhole selfie camera. Multiple reputable outlets and analysts point to under-display Face ID as plausible for the iPhone 18 Pro, but they diverge on the Dynamic Island’s final form — smaller, shifted, or retained. Given the variety of leak sources and technical trade-offs, Apple could opt for several near-term designs before settling on a production-ready approach.
Expect clarity around Apple’s final design when the company announces its next-generation Pro models, likely at an event in September 2026. Until then, developers and accessory makers should follow Apple’s official developer guidance and prepare for several plausible layouts in their UI and hardware margin planning.
Sources
- MacRumors — Coverage of Prosser’s January 19, 2026 report (technology news)
- Front Page Tech (YouTube) — Jon Prosser video (independent video channel)
- The Information — reporting attributed to Wayne Ma (subscription technology news)
- Bloomberg — reporting by Mark Gurman on iPhone display and Dynamic Island possibilities (news)