Currently, Dynamic Island — the clever extensible user interface that makes the new pill-shaped cutout look desirable rather than odd — is exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus stick with the tried-and-true notch that has been a staple of Apple’s handsets since 2017.
But that could change next year. Just as the notch was exclusive to the iPhone X when it arrived with the iPhone 8 before being filtered to all models the following year, it sounds like all versions of the iPhone 15 will include Dynamic Island — and therefore the pill-shaped notch.
That’s according to display analyst Ross Young, who was asked about the prospects of Dynamic Island being universal, said on Twitter (opens in new tab). “Yes, Dynamic Island expects on standard models on the 15,” he replied.
But that doesn’t mean you can expect the iPhone 15 to finally match the Pro models in screen deployment. “I still don’t expect 120Hz/LTPO on standard models because the supply chain can’t support it,” Young added.
Yes, Dynamic Island expects on standard models on the 15. Still don’t expect 120Hz/LTPO on standard models as the supply chain cannot support it.September 18, 2022
That’s disappointing, but not unexpected. While moving the notch won’t cost too much as all the UI work has already been introduced in iOS 16, upgrading the display to a 120Hz panel would either hit Apple’s bottom line, or a price hike. require on the base models to compensate.
Even if Apple were happy with the latter, it would make little sense for the company to do so. With the iPhone 14 family, Apple has really highlighted the differences between Pro and non-Pro with a substantial camera upgrade and the first-ever separation in raw processing power. The 120Hz display — or ProMotion as Apple calls it — is an important part of this up-sell strategy, as it makes for much smoother everyday interactions and is the secret behind the always-on display, brand new for the iPhone 14 Pro.
But Apple definitely needs something to make sure the stock model doesn’t become irrelevant. The stock models of this generation seem to have weak order numbers so far, and as much as Apple would like everyone to buy a Pro, it doesn’t want to exclude those who can’t afford it. Perhaps the introduction of Dynamic Island – in addition to the late upgrade to the A16 chip – will be enough to see the stock iPhone bounce back in 2023.