Sorry, but the iPhone's hideous notch probably won't get smaller until 2019

Hollis Johnson

• Apple may be designing a smaller notch for future iPhones, according to a report from Korean news site ET News.
• The notch currently houses Apple's TrueDepth camera system, but Apple may combine the front-facing camera and the facial recognition module on future devices.

If you're not a fan of the "notch" at the top of the iPhone X, you may not see its design change until 2019.

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According to a report from Korean IT site ET News, Apple is currently looking into combining the facial-recognition module with the camera module on future iPhones, which would shrink the overall size of the "notch" that houses Apple's TrueDepth camera system.

The report was first spotted by MacRumors.

The iPhone X was Apple's first iPhone with a full edge-to-edge display and no home button, but to accommodate that design, Apple needed a small area to house the cameras and sensors to power Face ID, which replaces Touch ID as the main way to get into your phone and authenticate purchases. The "notch" is was the result.

But the design was widely criticized when the phone came out, and many consider it a blemish on the phone's stunning OLED display.

While it's encouraging that Apple may be pursuing a smaller notch for future iPhones, these changes will likely not affect the 2018 iPhone lineup - the design of those iPhones are likely already finalized. ET News reports the changes will affect products to be released in 2019 or later.

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