The latest iPhone 17 leak hints at one iPhone 16 feature that might not change

The Dynamic Island is apparently sticking around (Image credit: Apple)

The Dynamic Island is set to be unchanged on the iPhone 17
Earlier rumors suggested it could be getting smaller
Four new handsets are expected to appear in September

As we look forward to the expected September launch of the iPhone 17, we're hearing more rumors around what the Apple flagship phone might bring with it – including one feature from the iPhone 16 that might not change.

Well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has gone on record saying the Dynamic Island that sits atop the displays on the iPhone 16 series is going to "remain largely unchanged" when it comes to this year's models.

There has been some talk previously that the cut-out would get smaller on the iPhone 17 models, as Apple works to reduce the size of the components underneath it (including the Face ID sensor). According to Kuo, that won't be the case.

Patents filed by Apple suggest that the Face ID tech and even the selfie camera might eventually be put under the display, which would mean the Dynamic Island was no longer necessary – but the change seems to be some way off.

Live Activities support

預期2H25 iPhone 17系列的動態島大小幾乎沒什改變I expect the Dynamic Island size to remain largely unchanged across the 2H25 iPhone 17 seriesJanuary 24, 2025

You may remember the Dynamic Island was introduced with the iPhone 14 back in 2022, and its subsequently shown up on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 handsets too. There have been rumors it'll come to the iPhone SE 4 this year too.

The island does more than hide sensors and cameras, because it's used for Live Activities too: app developers can make use of it to show sports scores, or navigation instructions, or any sort of real-time information that's needed on screen.

It could still fulfil that function if it was smaller, and could still pop up on screen when needed even if it wasn't permanently on the display, but these are all considerations Apple will be weighing up when it comes to the future of the Dynamic Island.

Nothing will be certain until launch day of course, but other rumors point to an iPhone 17 Air model replacing the iPhone 16 Plus, while we've also heard that there could be display upgrades and improving cooling systems in the offing.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.