The iPhone 14 series is expected to come with a significant design change when it launches later this year, and while the design is yet to be officially confirmed, there is the question of whether support for Touch ID will be included. The fingerprint security system Apple uses on its devices made its debut on the iPhone 5S and has continued to appear in some Apple products to date.
When Apple launched the iPhone X which brought a revamped design that included a display that covered most of the front, it removed Touch ID and replaced it with a new Face ID authentication method that verifies a user's identity using their face. Save for the iPhone SE which has a design similar to the iPhone 8, all iPhone models launched since then have Face ID. Even though there are multiple users who prefer not to use their face to unlock their device or authorize payments, Apple seems intent on sticking with the authentication method.
The iPhone X and all of its successors all have a notch in the display that houses the front-facing camera and sensors needed for Face ID to work, but that notch is about to significantly shrink in size or be reduced to a dual-punch-hole cutout on the iPhone 14. With the notch practically gone in this new design, there has been the suggestion that Apple may bring back Touch ID. A Forbes report even stated that the feature may make it return on the iPhone 14 Pro models and Apple will achieve this by putting the fingerprint scanner under the display. However, a more recent report by Wccftech, citing reliable leaker Dylan, suggests Apple isn't considering Touch ID support for any of the iPhone 14 models, or any of its products this year in general.
There's Still Hope For Touch ID
If Face ID continues to be the main authentication method on iPhone, it means Apple may have found a way to shrink the components required to fit inside the small cutout expected on the iPhone 14's display. There have been rumors that Apple is also working on placing Face ID under the screen, but it is still ironing out the kinks. Considering that the iPhone 14 will still feature a cutout, it seems less likely that an under-screen Face ID will appear in this year's phones. Still, while Face ID seems certain to be the biometric option for the iPhone 14, it doesn't mean all hope is lost for Touch ID as the feature might still appear in a future iPhone.
Apple has two ways to achieve this - it may decide to place the sensor under the screen or under the power button as it did with the 2020 iPad Air. The latter seems the more likely route considering the company already has a product with the fingerprint scanner implemented in this way. It is also likely to be far more reliable than placing it under the display. In the meantime, those who do want an iPhone with Touch ID this year might want to consider the 2022 iPhone SE which is due to launch before the iPhone 14 series.
Source: Forbes, Wccftech, Dylan/Twitter