under-display face – Metalenz shows Polar ID that can authenticate faces under a powered OLED screen without cutouts, aiming for Face ID–level security.
A secure Face ID experience without the notch or punch-hole is moving from rumor toward real-world demos, and it comes from Metalenz.
The company is showcasing Polar ID, a facial authentication system designed to run underneath a fully powered-on OLED display, with no display cutouts. The push matters because modern phones have relied on those openings to fit the sensors needed for reliable identity checks.
At the center of the breakthrough is how Polar ID captures depth-like details for verification through display glass.. Instead of relying only on an ordinary camera view. Metalenz uses polarization signals and metasurface optics. aiming to preserve the signal quality even when it passes through the OLED layer.
That choice is also tied to a persistent security gap in many “face unlock” features. Convenience systems can be easier to bypass, while higher assurance authentication needs more than a flat image, especially when trying to resist spoofing attempts.
Meanwhile, the industry has long treated cutouts as a tradeoff: remove them and the sensors struggle, keep them and users accept less screen. If Polar ID works consistently at scale, it could change the design math for handset makers who want an uninterrupted display.
The bigger question for users is what kind of authentication this enables on future phones. If manufacturers adopt this approach, facial recognition could shift from a basic unlock tool toward payment-grade protection that aligns with how more secure biometric systems are typically handled.
In the end, the significance isn’t just “under-display” bragging rights. It’s the possibility of maintaining strong identity verification without forcing the display to give up part of its surface.