iPhone 14 Pro screen cutout may also serve as a privacy warning

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
Instead of just a black oval, the space in between the iPhone 14 Pro Face ID dot projector and front-facing camera may have a practical use.

Apple currently shows privacy indicators to the right of the notch
Apple currently shows privacy indicators to the right of the notch


There's been much debate over what sort of front-facing camera cutouts Apple's next-generation iPhone will get. Earlier rumors suggested Apple will go with the dual hole-punch and pill cutout, or a single, wider, pill-shaped cutout.

As it turns out, Apple may still go with two separate cutouts but use software to merge the two cutouts to appear as one. But, instead of just an oval, that space may be used for something practical.

Apple is now rumored to use the cutout to hold its microphone and camera "dots" -- the privacy indicators that alert users when an App accesses either the microphone or camera. And, when in use, those dots may be located in the otherwise unused display area between the FaceTime dot projector and front camera.

The dots, either orange, or green, are used to tell the user that the microphone or camera and perhaps also the microphone, respectively, are in use by an app. At least as implemented in macOS, the dots have also caused problems for artists recently, with those complaints extending to the iPhone in recent months as well.

If the rumors about the use of the cutouts for Face ID and other systems first reported on Wednesday by 9to5mac are true, it's the first location shift in two years. Apple put them in the current location when iOS 14 launched.

Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone 14 lineup at its September 7 event, which will also see the launch of the Apple Watch Series 8.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee Posts: 4,488member
    If they’re doing a “pill” cutout (or a pill and circle but display black in between to look like a larger pill) then they better do something with that space above it.

    Too small for any icons, but maybe a long, thin battery percentage bar could fit. Otherwise it’s just wasted space.
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Anilu_777Anilu_777 Posts: 570member
    It makes zero sense to use one location for one phone (Pro) and a different location for the regular 14 that supposedly will have the notch. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 7
    omasouomasou Posts: 613member
    That would be a good use for the unused space between the cutouts.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 7
    igorskyigorsky Posts: 773member
    ericthehalfbee said:
    If they’re doing a “pill” cutout (or a pill and circle but display black in between to look like a larger pill) then they better do something with that space above it.

    Too small for any icons, but maybe a long, thin battery percentage bar could fit. Otherwise it’s just wasted space.
    "They better"  :D
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 7
    winston2010winston2010 Posts: 98member
    Maybe a green outline around the pill cutout to indicate the camera is turned on and in use?
    602warrenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 7
    skippingrockskippingrock Posts: 198member
    Well they already do it for the camera light on the MacBook Pro cutout, so why not the iPhone and iPad? i was always bothered by the fact that the original iPhone with FaceTime camera didn't have these in the first place like the original iSight camera. Somewhere in my memory was that Jobs didn't want the lights because it ruined the clean design.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 7
    602warren602warren Posts: 71member
    winston2010 said:
    Maybe a green outline around the pill cutout to indicate the camera is turned on and in use?
    I genuinely like this idea. I’d prefer this to a simple ‘dot’.
    watto_cobra
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