From better battery to enhanced cameras, there are a few standard features that top iPhone users' wish lists every year. An unexpected request has also been doing the rounds for the last couple of years, mainly thanks to the pandemic – but if you've been holding your breath for the return of Touch ID, get ready for bad news.
As anyone who's tried unlocking an iPhone with FaceID while wearing a mask will attest, the whole process doesn't exactly scream 'Apple design'. Leaks have suggested that the iPhone 14 will feature a fingerprint scanner under the display – but now, renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has poured cold water over the idea. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 13 deals available now.)
Touch ID has already returned to the iPad mini (Image credit: Apple)
In a new tweet (below), Kuo suggests an under-display fingerprint scanner is unlikely to appear within the next two years – if ever. Kuo had previously suggested the tech could arrive by 2023, but claims this is no longer the case.
I previously predicted iPhones would support under-display fingerprint sensing/Touch ID in 2023 at the earliest. But the latest survey indicates new iPhones in 2023 & 2024 may not adopt under-display Touch ID. Face ID with a mask on iPhone is already a great biometrics solution.March 30, 2022
While Apple isn't exactly known for reversing its design decisions (that headphone jack is not coming back), Touch ID, is making a rare comeback of late. The fingerprint scanning tech has already returned to the iPad Air 4 and the iPad mini, so I was hoping to see it make its way to the iPhone 14. And to have it hidden under the display would be delightfully futuristic. (Ah well, there's always that sci-fi-esque iPhone copy and paste hack.)
Still, as Kuo points out, Apple has taken steps to fix FaceID. For a while, we had to make do with a makeshift workaround involving the Apple Watch, but the company recently, finally, rolled out Face ID with mask, in which the facial recognition tech analyses the eyes. This isn't perfect, though – for one thing, it's limited to the iPhone 12 and above.
Face ID hasn't always played nice with masks (Image credit: Apple/Future owns)
From the nixxing of the notch to incredible camera tech, we've already heard plenty of iPhone 14 rumours lately. It'll be a shame if Touch ID doesn't make the cut, but there's already plenty to look forward to. Want the best iPhone deal available now? Check out today's best Apple deals.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.
