In the run-up to the September event, everything indicated that the iPhone 14 Pro would no longer have a notch. Instead, Apple now relies on a “pill” in which the camera and FaceID sensor technology are built in and gives the whole thing a name: “Dynamic Island”.
For years, Apple has hardly said a word about the small indentation at the top of the screen. After all, the notch, which houses important hardware such as the camera, FaceID and other sensors, is 20 percent smaller in the iPhone 13. But with the iPhone 14 Pro and the 14 Pro Max, Apple is taking a completely new approach and focusing on “Dynamic Island”. TECHBOOK reveals what the new iPhone feature can do and how it works.
iPhone pill
Apple has shrunk the size of the selfie camera and FaceID sensors by 30 percent. The tech is now in a pill at the top of the screen. However, the pill form is just a software trick. Because FaceID and camera are actually sitting next to each other – there are actually screen pixels in between. However, these are simply black, making it look like one continuous area:
Android manufacturers switched to smaller camera notches years ago. Many smartphones only have a circular recess in the display for the selfie camera. Proximity and light sensors are hidden in the edge of the screen or even under the screen. The latest trend in the Android world is to also install the selfie camera under the display. However, this technology is still in its infancy and plagued by poorer image quality.
So far, however, none of the Android manufacturers have come up with the idea of integrating an unavoidable disruptive factor – and that’s a notch – into the smartphone’s operation. The iPhone 14 Pro is the first in which the notch not only takes away something from the user interface. The pill adds new functionality instead.
“Dynamic Island” makes the pill smart
Apple is sure the new pill will be a hit. This can be seen from the fact that it has its own name: “Dynamic Island”. As the name suggests, the pill is more than just a static surface. Apps that support “Dynamic Island” move up into the pill when closed. Depending on the function of the app, the area of ”Dynamic Island” increases. For example, album covers from Apple Music and navigation from Apple Maps appear there – even if these apps are running in the background. You can see exactly what that looks like in Apple’s announcement video on YouTube:
Mini multitasking
“Dynamic Island” is thus practically a small multitasking shortcut. Because if you hold down the small area, it expands to show more details and controls. Detailed instructions such as the lane assistant appear for maps and the playback control for music. A simple tap on the pill, on the other hand, opens the respective app directly. The most recently opened app takes up most of the pill. Other apps in the background appear in a circle next to it.
Other Dynamic Island Features
“Dynamic Island” also displays notifications and context-based information. For example, if you toggle the mute switch, a small animation appears directly in the pill instead of as a free window on the screen as before. The animations when unlocking via FaceID, connecting to AirPods, plugging in a charger and starting focus mode are also moving there.
In certain apps, “Dynamic Island” switches off and only the actual pill with the camera and FaceID remains visible. This happens, for example, in video playback and in mobile games. In these situations, the surface does not respond even when tapped.
Which apps support “Dynamic Island”?
At launch, most preinstalled apps on the iPhone 14 Pro are optimized for Dynamic Island. These include music, maps, timers and alarm clocks, FaceTime and calls as well as voice memos. But third-party developers can also adapt their apps accordingly, since Apple has opened up the programming interface.