When Apple launched the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in 2022, it also introduced a new feature called the Dynamic Island. Some had expected Apple to go with the hole-punch camera design, but the company had other ideas. If you hoped Dynamic Island would disappear and be replaced with an under-display camera, think again. Recent reports claim the iPhone 17 Pro will instead, feature a smaller version of Dynamic Island.
iPhone 17 Pro with smaller Dynamic Island
This is according to a report from MyDrivers which claims that the iPhone 17 Pro (and presumably the Pro Max) will come with a smaller Dynamic Island. The publication also says that for this to happen, Apple will adopt Meta Lens technology. This reportedly enables Apple to make the Face ID module smaller than the current version, resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island.
This means that at the end of the day, the feature is here to stay. Some have criticized Apple’s Dynamic Island feature, claiming it to be distracting. Others claim that you might need some time to get used to it, but eventually, you won’t even notice it. At times it can be quite useful.
Dynamic Island shows users interesting information like sports scores. It can also show you the progress of your Uber ride. It also indicates when apps use your location. Some apps let users long-press the Dynamic Island to access features like playback controls.
In addition to a smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple will reportedly shrink the bezels. One change Apple brought to the iPhone 16 Pro was smaller bezels, but the iPhone 17 Pro could go thinner. This is part of Apple’s plan to eventually introduce a bezel-less iPhone.
Android alternatives
When Apple officially introduced the Dynamic Island feature, it didn’t take long for some Android OEMs to launch similar features. For instance, the Realme C55 launched with a very similar feature which the company called the “Mini Capsule”. The difference is that the capsule remains hidden when not in use, whereas Apple’s Dynamic Island is constantly in your face.
That being said, while Dynamic Island gained Apple a lot of attention, the company wasn’t the first to conceive the idea. Honor claims to have come up with the idea back in 2019 with the Honor V20. The company even went as far as calling out Apple on it. They called Apple a copycat that lacked innovative thinking.
Going further back, some of you might recall that LG released the V10 in 2015. It had a secondary display that sat above the main screen and could show notifications, app shortcuts, and song title tracks. It’s not quite the same as Dynamic Island, but both features do share some similarities conceptually.
