Pill-shaped camera cutouts have been on Android smartphones for years as an alternative to a notch, but Apple reimagines this trend with Dynamic Island. It's a user-interface change that naturally incorporates the cutout into the operating system rather than ignoring its existence. The Dynamic Island was added to the iPhone with the release of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus look virtually identical to their predecessors, the iPhone 14 Pro series switches up the iPhone's display for the first time since 2018. In addition, Apple reduced the size of the Face ID sensors in the iPhone, allowing them to shrink the notch into a pill.
Part of the reason Dynamic Island works is because the pill-shaped cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro isn't a pill. Instead, the hardware comprises a smaller pill-shaped cutout and a hole punch cutout, forming a horizontal 'i' in the display. But these cameras and sensors are connected through software, thanks to the iPhone's organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. Each picture can be turned off with OLED displays, resulting in deeper blacks. As a result, Apple can shut off the display area between the two cutouts to create a uniform look — and provide added functionality in the space between.
While many companies try to make the front-facing camera cutouts on smartphones as small as possible, that isn't a realistic goal for Apple. Their Face ID camera tech is made possible by True Depth sensors that are more than just a front-facing camera. That supports a Face ID security standard that is so secure the margin of error is listed as one in a million, according to Apple Support. At this time, these cameras and sensors can only be so small. To combat an intrusive notch or pill-shaped cutout, Apple developed user-interface elements that hide the display obstruction by embracing it.
Dynamic Island Explains Recent iOS Changes
The iOS user interface was shifting towards the Dynamic Island long before the feature was announced alongside the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. All sorts of notification bubbles across the operating system changed to become rounded as the incoming call interface and direction prompts from Maps. This was to accommodate an eventual Dynamic Island, which morphs the pill-shaped cutout to fit current activities. The pill-shaped cutout grows to include different status icons as needed, like a Now Playing symbol or a timer countdown. The virtual space between the two cutouts is also used for a green status light that shows when the camera is being used, like those found on a Mac.
The Dynamic Island will also work with Live Activities, a much-anticipated feature coming to iOS 16 later this year. Live Activities will pull time-sensitive information from third-party apps and present the status updates in the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. For example, these Live Activities can deliver updates on a ride-share or delivery order and the score of a professional sporting event. In addition, background activities will now be integrated seamlessly and unobtrusively in the area surrounding the pill-shaped cutout, which is an excellent way to maximize the screen area lost by cameras and sensors.
Source: Apple