Almost a decade ago, Apple introduced the iPhone X with what became an iconic design trait: the notch cutout. And this fall with iPhone 18 Pro, what’s now called the Dynamic Island is rumored to take a big step toward being retired.
iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island to shrink by 35% as Apple works to eliminate display cutouts
iPhone’s notch and Dynamic Island have been staples of Apple design for nearly a decade. But understandably, the company doesn’t intend to keep them around forever.
Even though Apple does a great job masking its iPhone cutout with software features like Live Activities, no one wants an unsightly gap in their display.
But in order to achieve a largely edge-to-edge display with minimal bezels, the notch was birthed on the iPhone X and later came to the Mac too.
iPhone 14 Pro brought a welcome improvement with the smaller Dynamic Island. And now this year the iPhone 18 Pro will continue the march toward a cutout-free design.
Rumors indicate iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island will shrink about 35% compared to the current size. iOS 27 also hints at such a change with Siri AI’s design.
This reduction will make the Dynamic Island noticeably smaller and provide users with a little more usable display area.
Nearly 10 years after the notch first arrived, Apple is taking its second big step toward removing the iPhone cutout altogether. And it won’t be an isolated move.
At the same time, the rumored MacBook Ultra is expected to ditch the notch for a smaller Dynamic Island. And next year’s iPhone 18e may do the same.
Apple’s display cutouts have become iconic, but there’s no doubt the goal is to eventually phase them out. And this year, we’ll see the first progress on that front in years.
Do you think Apple should more aggressively try to phase out display cutouts? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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