Rumors are suggesting the next generation iPhone may bring back Touch ID, along with the now standard Face ID.
Love it or hate it — and plenty of people fall into both camps — Face ID has become Apple’s preferred biometric security feature on its flagship and high-end iPhones and iPads. Nonetheless, Touch ID still has a number of advantages, not the least of which is not being affected by masks, an increase issue during a pandemic.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple may be looking to bring the feature back in the iPhone 13.
Though overall changes will be minor, Apple is still testing a key upgrade for 2021: an in-screen fingerprint reader. This would add a new method for users to unlock their iPhone, going beyond a passcode and Face ID facial recognition. Apple started to move away from fingerprint sensors in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, but Touch ID has remained as a feature on Mac laptops and cheaper iPhones since then. Qualcomm Inc., which provides Apple with 5G modems, earlier this month announced a faster in-screen fingerprint sensor.
Moving the Touch ID sensor in-screen would be a big upgrade over current implementations, and allow the iPhone to maintain its edge-to-edge screen.
If Bloomberg’s sources are correct, this would be a welcome addition to the iPhone, giving users the option of choosing how they log into their devices.
