A prominent leaker on Chinese social media platform Weibo suggests that Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will sport a more compact Dynamic Island design. According to Digital Chat Station, this reduction in size will be made possible by new "metalens" technology for Face ID components.
The metalens innovation is expected to integrate the Face ID transmitter and receiver into a slimmer package, allowing for a less intrusive cutout at the top of the display. Unlike traditional curved lenses found in current iPhones, metalens technology utilizes ultra-thin, flat lenses with nano-structures that precisely control light focusing.
However, industry experts remain divided on this development. While analyst Jeff Pu has repeatedly supported claims of a "much narrowed" Dynamic Island in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo contradicted these reports in January, stating that the upcoming models would maintain the current Dynamic Island size.
Digital Chat Station, who accurately predicted several features of the iPhone 15 series and iPhone 12's display design, also suggests that this metalens technology will extend beyond the iPhone, potentially appearing in future iPad Pro models and a rumored foldable iPad.
The Dynamic Island, first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro series in 2022, has maintained consistent dimensions across subsequent iPhone generations. If these rumors prove accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro Max would mark the first significant design change to this feature since its debut.
Apple is anticipated to reveal the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2024, where the fate of these design changes will finally be confirmed.