Apple is widely expected to reintroduce Touch ID to iPhones in 2020.
According to a new report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman and Debby Wu, the company is currently working on a new under-display fingerprint scanner for future iPhones and iPads.
Should testing be successful, Apple will introduce in-display fingerprint scanners in next year’s iPhones, which will also feature 5G technology for the first time.
However, the report suggests that the company is not afraid of holding off until 2021 if it doesn’t think the new technology will be ready, which corresponds to Ming-Chi Kuo’s reports of the 2021 iPhones.
The new technology would work in tandem with Face ID, allowing users to unlock their phones and pay for goods and services using their fingerprint or their face.
The fingerprint reader would be embedded in the display, which would allow users to unlock their iPhone virtually anywhere on the display.
By offering two biometric authentication options, Apple could introduce more advanced security features and governments and official bodies would feel more confident in offering their services on Apple devices, such as allowing users to store passports or sensitive info.
Of course, Face ID and Touch ID at present are not totally impenetrable, but by offering both together, Apple would create an iPhone that is safer and more user-friendly than ever before.
Some Android devices have already introduced in-screen fingerprint scanners in recent years, including Samsung, but it’s expected that Apple’s technology will be more refined.
The company is also expected to release its new low-cost iPhone in 2020, and that device will feature a Touch ID home button which would keep the technology alive as a standalone.
We’ll bring you more on the 2020 and 2021 iPhones as soon as we find out more, and in the coming days, we’ll share everything we know about the new 2019 iPhones. Keep it AppleMagazine for the latest, and subscribe to our weekly magazine for in-depth analysis.