Patently Apple has been covering Apple patents regarding the end of the Face ID camera notch on iPhones+ for years. Just a few of the 2023 patents could be viewed here: 01, 02, 03, 04. This is one of the hottest patent topics that we cover with fans wanting to know when will Apple kill the notch. Today, a new supply chain rumor claims that a Notchless iPhone could be coming our way in and around 2026.

According to The Elec, LG Innotek has begun advanced development of an ‘under panel camera’ (UPC) that has no visible camera lens hole. It is presumed that this is intended to prepare for the implementation of full screen Apple iPhones. The Apple iPhone with UPC is expected to be released after 2026.

According to sources familiar with this matter, LG Innotek was found to have begun advanced development of UPC. UPC refers to a camera in which the camera is located below the display, and the camera lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use.

If the lens hole is not visible when the camera function is not in use, the entire screen can be used as a display to increase immersion. UPC is also called under-display camera (UDC).

Because the UPC camera is located below the display, the amount of light transmitted to the image sensor is less than that of a regular front camera module. This is because light loss occurs as the light passes through the display area before reaching the camera lens. Due to this structure, UPC is limited in high-pixel shooting or continuous shooting.

LG Innotek is developing a special lens called 'Freeform Optic' lens to overcome the limitations of the existing UPC, which is insufficient light quantity. A representative feature of a lens module composed of multiple lenses is that it includes a 'free curve' shape on one or more surfaces.

Inventions that LG Innotek applied for as a patent in 2021 by including the term 'free form lens' in the patent specification include 'Optical system, camera module and mobile terminal' (application number 10-2021-0185321), 'Optical module '(Application No. 10-2021-0114295), 'Optical Module' (10-2021-0115134), etc.

In addition, LG Innotek said, "By applying a freeform lens, the thickness of the peripheral lens can be controlled, thereby reducing the aberration of the optical system and optical module (a phenomenon in which images are blurred due to the shape of the lens, etc.), and increasing the light ratio around the optical system and optical module, “The image quality of the area can be improved,” he explained.

Although LG Innotek has begun UPC development, UPC application to Apple iPhone can only be expected after 2026. It's reported that Apple has already received first UPC samples with first evaluations being unsatisfactory.

LG Display, an LG Group affiliate of LG Innotek, has also begun developing UPC. LG Display's goal is to increase the light transmittance of UPC to 20% by 2023 and 40% after 2024. LG Display plans to use a transparent PI substrate instead of the existing polyimide (PI) substrate for UPC application.

Apple plans to apply Under-panel Face ID to the front of the iPhone before applying UPC. Under-panel Face ID refers to a technology where the Face ID part required for user recognition on the iPhone appears as a normal display when this function is not in use. The technical principle of Under Panel Face ID is the same as UPC. If there is Face ID under the display, it is Under Panel Face ID, and if there is a camera, it is UPC.

On this front, Samsung is well ahead of Apple. Samsung Electronics has been applying UPC to the internal screen of the foldable phone Galaxy Z Fold series since 2021. For more on this read the full report.