Speculation is ramping up that under-display Touch ID could eventually debut on the iPhone, as Apple has secured another patent for an under-display fingerprint scanner.
Apple filed for this patent in September 2019, and it was published on Tuesday by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It is granted patent 11,281,884, entitled “Under-display fingerprint sensing based on off-axis angular light”.
There has been considerable speculation about the prospect of the iPhone getting under-display Touch ID, and this latest patent publication contradicts rumors from just a month ago indicating that Apple engineers had ceased working on the feature.
As for when such technology might appear on an iPhone after all, it is – as always with patents – important to emphasize that the mere news of a granted patent does not mean the solution in question will definitely appear in a future product.
It was once speculated that the iPhone 13 would incorporate the feature, and such rumors have continued for the iPhone 14, which is expected to launch this year. However, the well-known supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also reported in September that we will be waiting until 2023 for under-display Touch ID to finally appear in Apple’s iconic smartphone.
In the meantime, at least we have Apple’s innovative fingerprint sensor on the top button of the iPad Air to satisfy our thirst for Touch ID.
