To reintroduce Touch ID in its first full-screen model, Apple is allegedly still investigating under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for an iPhone.
Apple’s plans for Touch ID on iPhones have been hazy since Face ID debuted in the 2017 iPhone X. Some business analysts speculate that Apple may eventually view Face ID as an exclusive all-in-one biometric solution.
There is little doubt that Apple has been developing a Touch ID system intended to be installed beneath the display since at least 2013, as evidenced by the numerous patents the company has received. Nonetheless, despite assertions, Apple has, if anything, stepped up its research on under-screen fingerprint detection technologies.
Apple was recently awarded a patent for its under-screen Touch ID system, which blends short-wave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that may perform various tasks. The most recent version not only aims to read the user’s fingerprint when it contacts the display, but it may also detect dampness, the presence of gloves, vein patterns, blood oxygenation, and pulse.
Despite this, recent speculations regarding whether or not under-screen Touch ID will be released have been delayed. Kuo anticipated that Apple would release at least one new iPhone model featuring an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023 in a research note from September 2021. However, Kuo stated seven months later that it was doubtful that Apple would introduce iPhone models with under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024.
According to reliable reports, Apple tested some iPhone 13 models for an under-screen fingerprint scanner. Apple nevertheless decided against pursuing the idea.
In the most recent development, industry sources anticipate that Apple would introduce an under-screen Touch ID two to three years after introducing the under-panel Face ID, according to the news aggregator account “yeux1122” on the Korean Naver blog.
We might see a new under-screen Touch ID in a 2026 iPhone at the earliest, possibly in the same year that Apple is anticipated to move both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display, according to the rate of development of under-panel technology as outlined in industry consultant Ross Young’s roadmap.
Nevertheless, whether Apple will ever place Touch ID beneath iPhone screens still needs to be determined. It’s still possible that Apple will instead release an iPhone with Touch ID integrated into the power button, similar to the most recent iPad Air and iPad mini models. But, there have not been any speculations that Apple intends to take that route.
