Apple moves toward a seamless glass design by embedding the Face ID TrueDepth module under the iPhone 18 Pro display, reducing visible hardware on the screen.

Achieving this required a redesigned pixel layout with larger inter-pixel gaps and an infrared pass filter to let infrared light reach the sensor without sacrificing image quality.

Industry watchers, including iFixit, continue to spotlight under-display camera tech through ongoing coverage and teardown work.

The result is a TrueDepth camera array that remains nearly invisible in normal view, with only microscopic examination capable of revealing its presence.

Concealing the front-facing camera entirely is technically feasible today, but Apple has not yet accepted the image-quality compromises involved.

iFixit’s microscope analysis shows the Face ID module area has about half the pixel density of surrounding display regions, with Apple compensating by boosting brightness in those pixels.

This under-display approach helps reduce the Dynamic Island footprint and enables features like three live activities on the iPhone 18 Pro, while leaving open the possibility of fully concealing the camera in future models where image quality trade-offs are acceptable.