We’ve been getting more and more confirmation lately that Apple will bring back the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and place it right under the display on the iPhone 13. Simultaneously, the new feature for unlocking iPhone with Apple Watch in iOS 14.5 hints that we will have at least another year with only Face ID. But knowing Apple, she can replay everything, especially since now the Touch ID return is perhaps more urgent than ever.
Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, and Barclays analysts at various times over the past few months have shared information that Apple is testing Touch ID for use in the new iPhone. However, very little is known about how to implement a fingerprint scanner. For example, Apple could make Touch ID right in the iPhone lock button, which is located on the side. Moreover, the first Apple device, where the fingerprint scanner is made in this way, was already released in 2020 – the iPad Air 4. A more interesting option is Touch ID right on the screen; this technology is far from new; many Android smartphones already have it.
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Why do I need Touch ID on iPhone?
The return of Touch ID is really a very pressing issue. The pandemic played a significant role in this because many people are forced to wear a mask, and Face ID does not work for unlocking an iPhone or Apple Pay when you are wearing it.
But it is far from the fact that Apple will resolve the issue in this way. Apple first updated iPhone software to immediately display a passcode screen when Face ID recognizes that the user is wearing a mask. A year later, the company developed iOS 14.5, which added the ability to unlock the phone using the Apple Watch.
However, not everyone with an iPhone also owns an Apple Watch. If we compare the sales of iPhones and Apple watches, the difference will be many times, not favouring the Apple Watch. Against this background, the appearance of Touch ID in the iPhone looks more likely: users of new smartphones could unlock them in a new way, and owners of iPhones of previous generations – using the new iOS 14.5 feature and Apple Watch. But, of course, the iPhone 13’s fingerprint scanner won’t be in the form of a Home button like in older iPhones.
How will the fingerprint scanner (Touch ID) be made in the iPhone 13?
In January of this year, Qualcomm announced a new in-screen fingerprint scanner that is 50% faster and covers 77% more area than the previous generation. This scanner, for example, is found in the latest Samsung Galaxy S21 and is actually fast and reliable.
I have been using the Samsung Galaxy S21 for about a week and love the phone’s in-screen fingerprint scanner. It is really convenient and cool that the sensor does not hide useful space, and the display occupies the entire surface of the smartphone.
But if Apple will use Qualcomm technology, it may take another year for it to appear on the iPhone. Apple can also make Touch ID in the power button, but this is not as convenient or practical as the “traditional” Touch ID.
What will be the iPhone 13?
Authoritative Apple analyst Min Chi Ko wrote in a note to investors earlier this month that the company has no plans to embed Touch ID into the iPhone’s power button this year. Simultaneously, according to the expert, the iPhone 13 (or iPhone 12s, it is not yet clear what it will be called) will have reduced “bangs”, an increased battery capacity, and the screen will support a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Apple does a lot of testing before introducing new technology. And since there is not much information yet that the company is developing Touch ID on the screen, most likely it will not be ready for the release of the new iPhone yet.
Finally, Bloomberg reports that this year will be the year “S” in terms of updates for the iPhone, meaning the new iPhone will be called the iPhone 12s. Since the in-screen Touch ID is an important feature, Apple may keep it for the next major iPhone updates.