The iPhone X was the first iPhone to ditch Touch ID in favor of Face ID, and while there are reports that Apple might bring back the fingerprint scanner, new info says that may not happen anytime soon, if at all. While the numbered iPhone series uses Face ID, those who want an iPhone with Touch ID can pick up the iPhone SE. Apple also offers Touch ID on some iPad models while it sells a version of the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
Most Android smartphones have a fingerprint scanner, and many of them with an AMOLED display have it buried under the display. Some have it on the side where it doubles as the power button. However, there are still a fair amount of phones with fingerprint scanners at the back. Despite having a fingerprint scanner, most Android phones also have support for Face Unlock, but it is not as secure as Apple's Face ID.
There have been reports flying around about the possibility of Apple bringing back Touch ID in one form or the other to the numbered iPhone series. It turns out that Apple has been testing new ways to incorporate the fingerprint sensor, including an under-display version of Touch ID similar to what is available on many Android smartphones. The tech giant has also considered burying it under the power button, just like it did with the iPad Air (2022) and the iPad Mini (2021). However, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed in his weekly newsletter that it is unlikely that Apple will be adopting either solution; if it does, it won't be anytime soon.
Face ID Is Here To Stay
This new info buttresses an earlier report from March 2022. Apple insider, Ming-Chi Kuo, disclosed that new phones set for 2023 and 2024 might not have an in-display fingerprint scanner. This means the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series won't have Touch ID. However, Mark Gurman says a likely possibility is that Apple may decide to bring back Touch ID to the lower-end iPhones such as the iPhone SE. Although he adds that Apple isn't currently considering this option.
Chances that the next-gen iPhone SE will have Touch ID are pretty small as it has been reported that the 4th generation iPhone SE may borrow its design from the iPhone XR. And like the iPhone X, the iPhone XR also has Face ID, not Touch ID. With a two-year gap between the iPhone SE, the next-gen model is set for release in 2024 at the earliest.
Source: Mark Gurman/Bloomberg