iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island smartphone will finally get a smaller cutout — and the new CAD files confirm it. On May 5, 2026, a tipster on social network X said that they had received new CAD files of the devices from a case manufacturer — and they clearly show a significantly smaller opening in the upper part of the display compared to all previous Pro models, starting with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022.
What is Dynamic Island and why make it smaller
Dynamic Island debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 as an elegant solution to a problem that had previously been a simple straight black bar — the notch. Apple turned a technical necessity into a UI element: the cutout for the front camera and Face ID became an interactive area that adapts to different notifications and activities.
On the one hand, it is brilliant. On the other hand, the cutout still takes up screen space. A smaller Dynamic Island = more usable display area = fewer distractions when watching videos, gaming, and reading.
That is why a smaller Dynamic Island is one of the most anticipated upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro audience.
What the new CAD files show
CAD files (Computer-Aided Design) are technical drawings that Apple passes to accessory manufacturing partners long before the announcement. They define the exact dimensions, shape, and component placement. It is on the basis of such files that cases appear on sale even before the new iPhone launches.
The published drawings show the characteristic pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout — but significantly smaller than the one users have become used to on the iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro. This is the first technical confirmation from the supply chain that the reduction is indeed happening.
An important note: the tipster stated that the files were obtained from a case manufacturer — meaning they passed through an intermediary. The probability that they are genuine is high, but not absolute.
Why a smaller Dynamic Island became possible דווקא now
Under-display Face ID technology
The reduction in cutout size is not just a design decision. Behind it is a technological shift: Apple, apparently, will integrate under-display Face ID into the iPhone 18 Pro lineup for the first time.
The traditional Face ID system requires a set of sensors — a dot projector, infrared camera, and illuminator — that take up significant space behind the display. Under-display Face ID moves these components beneath the display matrix, leaving only the front camera in the cutout.
The result: the Dynamic Island form factor remains for compatibility with all apps and UI elements, but the opening itself becomes much smaller — only for the camera, without the sensors.
A long road to implementation
This technology had been discussed for several years. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had previously pointed to 2026 as a possible timeline. Now the CAD files provide the first tangible reason to believe that this time it may actually happen.
Conflicting signals: why it was not obvious
Interestingly, just a few months ago, signals from different sources were contradictory. Some leaks claimed that Dynamic Island would remain the same size. Early dummy units (plastic mockups for case manufacturers) also did not show any obvious reduction. That is why GSMArena described the previous months as a “will it or won’t it” game.
The new CAD files have tipped the scales toward “it will.” But it is worth waiting for at least one more independent confirmation from the supply chain — and only then considering the matter settled.
What else is known about the iPhone 18 Pro in the context of the display
Dynamic Island is just one of several display changes reported for the iPhone 18 Pro:
- Dynamic Island becomes noticeably smaller (current leak)
- M16 OLED material from Samsung — the newest one, with blue phosphorescent subpixels. Greater efficiency, better brightness, lower power consumption
- ProMotion remains — adaptive refresh up to 120 Hz is not going anywhere
- Thinner bezels — according to some reports, the iPhone 18 Pro will have even narrower bezels than its predecessor
Taken together, these changes give the iPhone 18 Pro one of the biggest display upgrades in the history of the Pro lineup — even if the screen size itself remains approximately the same.
What remains outside Pro: the base iPhone 18 and Dynamic Island
Let us recall the broader lineup picture: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are announced in September 2026. The base iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 arrive only in spring 2027.
Will the base iPhone 18 get the same reduced Dynamic Island? So far, there is no data. Traditionally, the Pro lineup receives display innovations first — and only a year or two later they move to the base models.
In brief: the key points about the smaller Dynamic Island in iPhone 18 Pro
- Confirmed: new CAD files from a case manufacturer show a significantly smaller Dynamic Island
- Size: smaller than on all Pro models from 2022 through 2025 inclusive
- Technology: likely under-display Face ID — the sensors move under the display matrix, leaving only the camera in the cutout
- Display overall: M16 OLED, smaller bezels, ProMotion — the best screen in iPhone 18 Pro
- Announcement: September 2026
- Source: CAD files via a tipster on X from a case manufacturer
Article prepared by the TechVisor team — practical IT media for people.
