Looks like the iPhone 14 won't have the one feature I want

iPhone 14 render
(Image credit: the Hacker 34)

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.)

iPad mini 6

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.

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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.

iPhone Face ID

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 Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).