When Apple introduces a new technology, it typically signals the end for a piece of legacy technology. The introduction of the Lightning connector, for example, effectively replaced the 30-pin dock connector for good.
With that said, it was only natural to assume that the introduction of Face ID on the iPhone X a few years ago would mark the end of Touch ID. Over the past few weeks, though, we’ve seen reports suggesting that Touch ID may stick around for quite some time.
Aside from speculation that Apple may introduce a successor to the iPhone SE that may boast a Touch ID sensor, a wild rumor from last week claims that Apple’s 2020 iPhone model might sport both Face ID and Touch ID thanks to an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Apple is considering including this in-screen touch sensor in the 2020 iPhone model if testing is successful, the people said. Suppliers have proven their ability to integrate the technology into iPhones, but the company has not managed to mass-produce it yet, one person familiar with the development work said.
Interestingly enough, and perhaps bolstering the Bloomberg report, Apple’s Greg Joswiak recent sat down for an interview with the Daily Express and said that Touch ID isn’t going anywhere.
“[Touch ID] changed the way that people secured their device, because at that time, even though it’s hard to imagine, many didn’t even have a passcode,” Joswiak said. “It’s a solution that remains and we still use it on our iPads, iPod Touch and even the Macs – it’s a great system.”
Later in the interview, Joswiak added that Touch ID is a “great technology on our iPad lineup and we don’t see it going away anytime soon.”
While this shouldn’t be taken to mean that the iPhone is guaranteed to feature Touch ID in the future, it does lend some credibility to an otherwise intriguing rumor.
