Apple is prepping Touch ID for next-gen iPhones that will keep Face ID, offering two biometric methods of unlocking iPhones, according to a new report.
(Source: Apple Inc.)
Apple has been working on in-screen fingerprint technology and has considered including both Touch ID and Face ID on the same device, two former Apple employees told me. While they couldn’t confirm the company’s plans, other reports, including one from Bloomberg, say Apple is testing in-screen fingerprint sensors in its next iPhone.
A former Apple employee, who worked on Apple’s Touch ID, said the company had been working with optical sensors for in-screen fingerprint reading. The person said optical sensing can be more reliable than ultrasonic. Apple has filed various related patents as early as 2014. A recent patent shows a fingerprint recognized when placed anywhere on the screen. Apple declined to comment on its patents.
The former employees stressed that whatever solution Apple went with, it would have to meet the security standards of its current Touch ID, which is still used on the iPhone SE, the iPad and MacBooks…
The 2021 iPhone Pro models will [also] have 120Hz displays, according to Ming-Chi Kou, a TF International Securities analyst with a long track record of accurately predicting future iPhone features. Apple tested it in the iPhone 12, he says, but pulled it because of battery and performance issues.
MacDailyNews Take: We’re all for bringing Touch ID back to iPhones (and iPads). The more choices, the better (although we love Face ID while still hating the inelegant notch kludge)!