Apple’s iPhone 17 Face ID: First metasurface integration marks a technology shift

This first integration of a nanopillar-based metasurface DOE combined with a stacked NIR CIS. This evolution reduces optical complexity while improving compactness and NIR detection performance.

Face ID has become a standard feature across Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads. It enables users to securely unlock their devices, authenticate purchases, and sign in to apps quickly and safely.

Meziane Saidani, Technology & Cost Analyst at Yole Group, presents here key insights from Yole Group’s latest reverse engineering & costing analysis of Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max. Based on deep teardown expertise, Yole Group continuously decodes innovations in sensing and imaging technologies, highlighting architectural shifts, performance gains, and cost dynamics through a dedicated collection of reports.

In the consumer & mobile sector, 3D sensing remains a key revenue engine. According to Yole Group’s report, 3D Imaging & Sensing 2025, the market is projected to exceed $7.5 billion by 2029. Smartphones accounted for about 84% of volumes in 2024, representing more than 500 million units. Apple continues to define the architectural roadmap of front-facing 3D sensing systems.

Meanwhile, metasurfaces based on metamaterials are being developed by several companies and are emerging in 3D sensing modules operating at a single near-infrared (NIR) wavelength. As a result, revenues are expected to be driven primarily by the mobile segment, which is forecast to reach $443 million by 2029, supported by metasurface integration in dToF multizone array modules for autofocus assist and in facial-recognition modules. Additional growth is expected from tablets, which rely on module architectures similar to those used in smartphones.

For years, one of Apple’s key challenges has been to reduce the size of the front notch on iPhones.

With the iPhone 17, Apple pairs the RGB camera with Center Stage functionality using a 24 MP CIS. This strategic move enables greater framing flexibility without requiring users to rotate the phone physically. The upgrade increased the camera module area by 39%. To offset this, Apple further compacted the Face ID module, as shown in the figure below (cross-section of the Face ID module), compared with the iPhone 16 Pro. This higher level of integration is enabled by a stacked NIR CIS supplied by STMicroelectronics.

Metasurface technologies are being developed by a flourishing ecosystem of start-ups, such as Metalenz and NILT Technology (Radiant Opto-Electronics). Acting as the primary designers and technology drivers, these companies play a key role in educating the market and demonstrating the capabilities of metasurface-based devices. Their efforts are supported by wafer-scale manufacturing partners and semiconductor manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics, as well as foundry ecosystems including TSMC and UMC.

In Yole Group’s Apple iPhone 17 Face ID report, our analysts uncover a major inflection point in Apple’s 3D sensing roadmap: the first adoption of a nanopillar-based diffractive optical element (DOE) in an iPhone figure below. This next-generation architecture leverages a single glass substrate patterned with millions of silicon nanopillars. By precisely tuning the size, shape, and placement of these meta-atoms, the metasurface enables highly efficient and accurate light steering from the VCSEL emitters, unlocking a new level of optical integration and manufacturability.

This metasurface DOE marks a clear break from the prior-generation approach used since the iPhone 13, which relied on two high-purity fused silica plates. Beyond simplifying the optical stack, Yole Group estimates this transition delivers an impressive ~73% cost reduction, setting a new benchmark for cost-efficient, high-performance structured light projection.

Importantly, this new design also integrates an innovative eye-safety mechanism on the die: a copper resistor connected to the leadframe, intended to prevent VCSEL activation if the DOE is damaged, reinforcing Apple’s continued focus on safety without compromising performance. A comparable eye-safety concept is also observed in the iPad Pro M4 DOE architecture.

Similarly, our earlier Apple Face ID Comparison 2025 technology & cost report analyzed a metasurface-based DOE. Built on the same underlying technology, the iPhone 17 solution stands out for its highly repetitive pattern, which our teams measured and identified, offering new insights into Apple’s design choices.

Over the past eight years, the Face ID module has continued to use the same front-side illuminated (FSI) NIR CMOS image sensor, with a manufacturing yield estimated at roughly 88% (vs. approximately 80% for the new stacked BSI CIS). With the iPhone 17, STMicroelectronics enhanced infrared light capture by moving to a stacked CIS architecture. This updated design incorporates back-side deep trench isolation (B-DTI) to boost pixel efficiency, along with metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors to improve charge-handling capacity.

Although the stacked BSI CIS has a smaller die area (From about 21 mm² to 27 mm² approximately), its more advanced process node and greater number of metal layers significantly increase front-end wafer cost, making it around 55% more expensive than the previous FSI generation.

Apple’s first integration of a metasurface DOE marks a key step in bringing meta-optics into the high-volume smartphone supply chain. As optical stacks become simpler and manufacturing ecosystems mature, metasurfaces are expected to expand beyond structured-light projection to encompass a wider range of functions.

Apple continues to improve the performance and integration of its 3D imaging module. Meanwhile, other solutions, such as the Polar ID recently announced by Metalenz, are expected to emerge in the consumer market.

For further insights into Apple’s latest innovations and upcoming analyses on sensing and imaging technologies, feel free to reach out to Yole Group’s team.

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Meziane Saidani is a Technology & Cost Analyst in the Imaging team at Yole Group.

Meziane closely follows emerging technologies in the field of imaging and develops in-depth technology and cost analyses as well as custom projects, collaborating closely with laboratory analysts.

He holds a master’s degree in electronics, electrical energy, and automation from the University of Montpellier (France), with a focus on electronic sensors and IoT.

This article has been developed in collaboration with Jérôme Mouly, Director of Sensing & Imaging Activities at Yole Group

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Source: www.yolegroup.com