iPhone 15 could integrate proximity sensor with Dynamic Island, improving Face ID response

Despite conflicting rumors, the iPhone 15 isn’t ditching Dynamic Island, in fact, it could even integrate a new proximity sensor to improve Face ID response.

While Android users rely on fingerprint validation to unlock the screen, on iOS facial recognition via Face ID is used, with not so good results at times.

While on Android, the main purpose of the proximity sensor is to turn off the screen at times when you hold the phone to your ear for voice calls, on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max the sensor also plays a role in optimizing the Always-On Display feature, for example, by turning off the screen when you hold the phone in your pocket.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 15 will move the proximity sensor to the Dynamic Island perimeter, with Apple achieving this change without further widening its perimeter. Another change concerns the wavelength of infrared light used by that sensor, changed from 1380nm to 940nm so as not to interfere with the spectrum used by the Face ID sensor.

Theoretically, the change could improve Face ID performance by eliminating a source of interference and even the proximity sensor, with face detection now even closer to the center of the screen. In practice, it could be another change made for cost optimization, allocating to the Dynamic Island module yet another function of the phone previously performed by a separate component.