Face ID sensor to be smaller in upcoming devices. It seems that the next iPhone will have a smaller notch. It will be thanks to the fact that Apple’s component suppliers have managed to reduce the size of the sensor in charge of the Face ID facial recognition function.
Face ID sensor to be smaller in upcoming devices
There were already rumors that pointed to the said reduction in the size of the notch, but now it seems that the manufacturer of the VCSEL chip of Face ID confirms it. We already know one more thing about the upcoming iPhone 13.
It appears that Apple has managed to reduce the die size of the VCSEL chips used in the Face ID scanner. This will undoubtedly help reduce production costs, as more chips can be produced on a single wafer, reducing overall wafer production.
The new VCSEL chip may allow Apple to integrate new features into the component, yet to be confirmed. But what is certain is that it will free up internal space in the device, and will reduce the size of the notch that characterizes the screens of iPhones.
This new smaller component will be used in the new iPhone and iPad launched at the end of 2021 onwards. The first devices to mount the new chip will presumably be the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, as well as the next-generation iPad Pro models.
Previous rumors already pointed to the fact that the notch on the iPhone 13 models will be reduced in size, thanks to a redesigned camera module that integrates the Rx, Tx, and flood illuminator to enable such a reduction.
One way or another, it’s clear that Apple is doing everything it can to reduce the iPhone display notch to its minimum while it finds a way to be able to eliminate it for good, either with a Face ID sensor or an under-display fingerprint sensor. But that will still require some time for development and actual implementation on an iPhone.
