In 2018, Touch ID was replaced with Face ID for all three iPhone models, and it looks like an improved iteration of fingerprint recognition is arriving for future Apple devices. In-screen Touch ID could be that next iteration, and a fresh report claims it might arrive for iPhone models as early as next year. Only yesterday, we reported that Apple is prepping a low-cost iPhone model for 2020, and it might feature a lower price than what iPhone XR was sold at launch. Perhaps this is the model that might arrive with this solution. The only way to find out is to read on.
Touch ID-Enabled iPhones Could Also Offer Face ID, but the Feature Might End up Arriving in 2021
According to a new Bloomberg report, people familiar with Apple’s plans state that the in-screen Touch ID feature could arrive to iPhone models as quickly as 2020. The technology is currently being tested, and few suppliers have apparently proven that their technology is up to Apple’s standards of quality. Unfortunately, since no supplier has reportedly been able to mass-produce these fingerprint scanners, it’s possible the first devices to feature in-screen Touch ID arrive in 2021. Ming-Chi Kuo earlier reported that an embedded Touch ID sensor could arrive in devices from 2021.
Bloomberg also reports that in-screen Touch ID could be paired with Face ID, with the two security features working in unison to provide an extra layer of authentication. The report also corroborates information published by Nikkei yesterday, stating that a low-cost iPhone SE successor could arrive in spring of 2020. Bloomberg describes this device sporting a design similar to the iPhone 8, and it would continue to use the home button. This means that cheaper iPhone versions would be exempt from featuring in-screen Touch ID.
This move might be done to save costs and because in-screen fingerprint readers are found in devices with OLED screens since it’s easier to embed sensors underneath the more expensive screen technology. Under-display fingerprint scanners have started getting develop for LCD-based smartphones, but OLED-touting ones are more in number right now. The low-cost option might stick to LCD, giving Apple no option but to remove the in-screen Touch ID offering completely. The California-based giant could also release three high-end models in 2020, with all three of them bearing OLED screens, smaller notches to give users more screen estate, as well as 5G support.
The cheaper device without in-screen Touch ID could be an option for customers to get used to Apple’s ecosystem without splurging a ton of money on its products. Of course, remember to treat this report with a pinch of salt, and we’ll be back with more updates.
News Source: Bloomberg
