How does the iPhone 19 Pro hide Face ID under the screen without losing quality?
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Skip the surface-level rumors. Learn why the iPhone 20 depends on COE display tech to hide Face ID under the glass and how it changes the screen forever.
Key Takeaways
What: A quad-curved, bezel-less iPhone 20 featuring under-display Face ID.
Why: To celebrate the 20th anniversary with a seamless “glass slab” design.
How: Using Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE) to increase display transparency for hidden sensors.
Most discussions regarding the 2027 iPhone focus on the visual result: a screen that covers the entire front of the device without any cutouts. However, the real story involves a technical shift that most people are overlooking. There is a common assumption in the tech world that hiding a camera under a screen is simply a sensor problem. It isn’t. It is a chemistry problem.
The Science of Transparency: Why COE Matters
For years, putting a camera behind a display meant sacrificing image quality because the screen layers blocked too much light. To fix this for the 20th-anniversary model, Apple is moving toward a technology called Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE).
Typically, a display has several layers stacked on top of each other. COE changes this by applying the color filter directly onto the thin-film encapsulation of the OLED panel. This makes the entire display stack thinner and significantly increases light transmittance. Without this specific chemical adjustment, Face ID sensors wouldn’t receive enough infrared data to map a face accurately through the pixels. While competitors are focused on the “all-screen” look, the real engineering hurdle is this shift in display architecture that allows sensors to “see” through solid glass without losing biometric security.
A Different Kind of Curve
The 2027 lineup, which leakers are currently calling the iPhone 19 Pro or iPhone 20, is expected to feature a “quad-curved” display. If you remember the “waterfall” screens from older Android flagships, you might be worried about accidental palm touches and distorted edges.
The information coming out of the supply chain suggests a different approach. Apple is reportedly working with Samsung Display and LG on “micro-curves”—a very shallow, equal-depth curvature on all four sides. The goal is a device that feels like a smooth, liquid slab of glass rather than a screen that spills over the sides. This design aims to solve the brightness reduction and color shifting that usually plague curved edges by using custom-engineered OLED panels.
Removing the Moving Parts
Beyond the screen, the physical structure of the phone is headed toward a “buttonless” future. Instead of mechanical switches that can wear out or let in water, the 2027 Pro models are expected to use solid-state buttons. These use haptic engines to mimic the feel of a click through vibrations.
By removing the internal machinery required for physical buttons, Apple can reclaim valuable space inside the chassis. This extra room is likely earmarked for two things: larger camera optics and a new silicon-carbon battery. Silicon-carbon technology allows for much higher energy density than current lithium-ion designs, meaning the phone can stay thin while offering better battery life.
Performance and the Anniversary Strategy
On the inside, the device is expected to run on the A21 chipset, built on a 2nm process. This move to 2nm represents a significant jump in efficiency and processing power compared to current 3nm chips.
For photography, the focus appears to be shifting toward light management rather than just adding more lenses. The 2027 Pro models may feature a 200-megapixel primary sensor utilizing LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) technology. This tech is designed to handle high-contrast scenes, preventing “blown-out” highlights in bright sun or lost detail in deep shadows.
Regarding the name, Apple may borrow a page from its own history. Just as they skipped the iPhone 9 to launch the iPhone X for the 10th anniversary, rumors suggest they might jump straight to the iPhone 20 or iPhone XX in 2027.
Current reports indicate that there may be a tiered rollout. The standard iPhone 19 Pro might keep a tiny hole-punch for the selfie camera while hiding Face ID, whereas a top-tier anniversary edition could be the one to achieve the completely seamless, cutout-free front. This would create a clear distinction between the standard high-end models and the commemorative flagship. Evaluation testing is already underway on mass production lines, suggesting these hardware shifts are no longer just conceptual sketches.