The new Dynamic Island is one of the most eye-catching new features on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max — and while you won’t find it on the cheaper iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, it’s likely that a shape-changing clip will appear on every iPhone model. 15th.
This is according to a respected analyst Ross Young (Opens in a new tab) (via 9to5Mac (Opens in a new tab)), someone who has a better reputation than others when it comes to predicting what Apple will do in the future – so we tend to think it will.
However, Young says that the Pro’s other display upgrades — a 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO technology that enables the always-on display — are unlikely to make it to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus (if that’s really what they call).
life with the island
As enabled by iOS 16, Dynamic Island expands and contracts around the physical openings for the selfie camera and front sensors: it can display information about media currently playing, incoming phone calls, and much more (you can even use it to play a game).
By comparison, the notch on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, which was introduced with the iPhone X in 2017, feels a little tired in comparison. The old look also means less space on the status bar for icons and alerts, too.
While the cheaper iPhone 15 models may get Dynamic Island in 2023, Apple appears intent on maintaining a clear distinction between the Pro and the non-Pro models. As with the iPhone 14 series, next year’s phones are expected to split in the middle when it comes to the chipset that runs inside them.
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It makes sense for Apple to extend the Dynamic Island feature to every iPhone model: This is clearly the way the series is headed as cameras and sensors need smaller and smaller cutouts, and it will add to the appeal of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
We’ve heard about the circular, pill-shaped snippets early on, but there haven’t been any leaks about Dynamic Island – showing that when it comes to in-house software development, Apple is still pretty good at hiding secrets from the wider world.
In the end, it’s really cool – the way the island turns out to show context-sensitive information that’s relevant to everything you’re doing on the phone at the time. It’s like a truly next-generation smart status and notification system, which we all support.
Expect Android phone makers to copy what Apple does here — the process has already begun. Like the notch before it, Dynamic Island could eventually become a defining element of mobile user interface design for a few years to come.