Tipster claims iPhone 14 Pro pill-shape and circular display cutouts could be hidden by software

Apple has long been rumored to be redesigning the notch — the rectangular space at the top of the iPhone’s display where the Face ID and front-facing camera system sit — with the iPhone 14 Pro, and be swapping out the current design with new pill-shape and circular display cutouts, offering slightly taller displays compared to the current-generation iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

However, as we near Apple’s upcoming “Far out” special event on Wednesday, September 7, where the Cupertino company is expected to unveil the long-awaited new models, an anonymous tipster has suggested that the new pill-shape and circular display cutouts could be hidden from view by software, with the notch becoming one long pill-shape-like block towards the top of the display, as visualized in new concepts (above) created by The Apple Post.

The information comes from MacRumors who received the anonymous tip on Wednesday, which claims that when the iPhone’s display is turned on, the iPhone 14 Pro notch will “appear as one contiguous, longer pill shape” instead of the separated pill-shape and circular display cutouts that had been previously rumored.

The tipster suggests that the iPhone 14 Pro will still feature the two individual cutouts, however, these will only be slightly visible when the device is turned off, and not when the display is on, because Apple will turn off the display pixels around the cutouts to create the illusion of one long cutout rather than two.

iPhone 14 Pro: What to expect

In addition to the new display cutouts, Apple is rumored to increase the size of the camera bump on the rear of the devices, likely due to a new 48-megapixel camera sensor, marking the first-megapixel upgrade on an iPhone since the iPhone 6s, released in 2015, offering 8K video recording and improved picture quality.

For the first time, Apple is expected to launch an always-on display with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which, similar to the Apple Watch Series 5 and later, will offer users glanceable information on-screen all the time while the screen remains at a low brightness and frame rate. The device will darken the display when the screen is locked, showing users their iOS 16 Lock Screen widgets such as the weather, calendars, stocks, activities and other data without the user having to wake their iPhone.

Apple is said to introduce a new A16 chip for the iPhone 14 Pro series, which will comprise of 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max screen sizes like the current-generation “Pro” series, with the models expected to be offered in four color finishes including Graphite, Gold, Silver, and a new Purple color.