Apple intensifies research on under-display Touch ID for iPhone
9th March, 2023 at 3:29 pm by Flynn
Image credit: MacRumors
- Apple reportedly continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for iPhone.
- Recent patent granted combining shortwave infrared tech with optical imaging system for under-screen Touch ID.
- Sources believe under-screen Touch ID could debut in 2-3 years following under-panel Face ID debut.
- Kuo's prediction of under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024 has been pushed back.
- It's uncertain if Touch ID will be under iPhone screens or built into power button, but rumors suggest it will return.
According to recent rumors, Apple is reportedly continuing to research under-screen fingerprint sensor technology for its iPhone, with a view to re-introducing Touch ID in its first full-screen model. Since the launch of Face ID in the iPhone X in 2017, it has been unclear what Apple's roadmap for Touch ID on iPhones would be, with some suggesting that Face ID was an exclusive all-in-one biometric solution going forward.
Despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology. Just this week, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.
Image credit: iPhone Hacks
According to a recent report from a Korean blog, sources now believe that Apple will debut under-screen Touch ID in the two to three years following the debut of under-panel Face ID. This suggests that we could see a new under-screen version of Touch ID in a 2026 iPhone at the earliest, possibly in the same year that Apple is expected to move both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display.
However, predictions about when under-screen Touch ID might be introduced, if at all, have been pushed back. In a September 2021 research note, Kuo had predicted that Apple would launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023. But seven months later, Kuo said Apple was unlikely to release any iPhone models with under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024.
It remains uncertain if Apple will put Touch ID under iPhone screens or if they will introduce an iPhone with Touch ID built into the power button, as seen in the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models. However, with the recent patent grant and rumors suggesting a return of Touch ID, Face ID haters may have something to look forward to in the future.
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