Apple Reportedly Tested Touch ID On iPhone 13, But Won’t Add It This Year
Photo 140676052 © Siarhei Dzmitryienka | Dreamstime.com
The much-missed Touch ID might be off the table again this year, but reports indicate that Apple is at least considering it. Chances of it arriving, at least in 2021, are getting slim, now that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman—who has a reputation for divulging Apple leaks with precision—is once again underscoring that fingerprint recognition won’t be part of the iPhone 13 lineup in his latest Power On newsletter issue.
Apple, however, did experiment with Touch ID on the upcoming flagship smartphone, though Gurman says “it won’t make the cut this year.” It seems that the company has set its sights on making Face ID its “long-term goal,” and if Touch ID were roped in, it’d be used in mid-tier models.
There’s been a lot of talk about Apple exploring the removal of the notch, which currently houses the technology required to power Face ID. How the tech giant could phase it out is by placing sensors under the iPhone’s screen, which would also make Touch ID without a home button possible. The company has already registered patents for such technology.
In the latest Bloomberg newsletter, Gurman describes, “I believe Apple is all-in on Face ID for its higher-end iPhones and its long-term goal is to implement Face ID in the display itself.”
At present, there seems to be two ways Apple might incorporate Face ID and Touch ID in its products and pricing strategy. The first involves Face ID for both high-end and mid-tier models, with a modernized in-screen version available in the pricier smartphones and the notch technology in the latter. The other considers under-the-display Face ID for premium iPhones and in-screen Touch ID for lower-end models.
This points at Face ID as the company’s priority. Perhaps by marketing Touch ID as a feature for cheaper iPhones, it could one day phase out fingerprint recognition for good.
[via 9to5Mac, cover photo 140676052 © Siarhei Dzmitryienka | Dreamstime.com]
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