Apple had tested in-screen Touch ID for iPhone 13 but has decided against including the feature in the final product this year. Many rumors have previously suggested that Apple would include both under-display Touch ID and Face ID in iPhone 13 as dual-bio-authentication systems, which would especially be useful in a time when everyone has to wear masks. However, Mark Gurman’s new PowerOn newsletter suggests that this will not be happening.
Under-display Touch ID is not coming to new iPhones this year
Gurman’s latest newsletter says that Touch ID will not make the cut this year for iPhone 13:
“While Apple had tested in-screen Touch ID for the next flagship iPhones, it won’t make the cut this year. 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.”
However, the company is still looking into getting rid of the notch by implementing under-display Face ID components. In practice, this would work similarly to how the front-facing camera in the newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 3 works. The camera is slightly visible but does not take any screen real-estate.
Mark Gurman believes that Apple will have this under-display Face ID system reserved for the high-end iPhone models in the future, while the entry-level flagship iPhone models will still have a notch. This alludes to the Pro iPhones have the former more advanced system. For cheaper models like iPhone SE, Apple might introduce under-display Touch ID. iPhone SE is also expected to get a punch-hole display front-camera as per reports.
Ming-Chi Kou had reported back in June that 2022 iPhones will feature under-display Touch ID, while many other sources have previously said that iPhone 13 would have this feature:
- iPhone 13 expected to come with in-display Touch ID, according to Barclays analyst
- iPhone 13 to have always on display with complications, iOS 15 to feature redesigned control center and support both Face ID and Touch ID at the same time
- iPhone 13 could feature in-display optical Touch ID along with Face ID
Apple’s patent filings also confirm that it has been working on under-display optical Touch ID.
iPhone 13 line-up is expected to ship in the same display sizes and variants as current iPhone 12 models. The Pro versions are expected to feature LPTO OLED displays with support for 120Hz refresh rates, Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 5G chip, and Wi-Fi 6E.
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