Ahead of nearly every iPhone generation announcement, reports claim Apple is testing a version that brings back Touch ID. That said, it seems we can finally bury the fingerprint scanner rumors, as an integrated circuit expert on Weibo (via MacRumors) guarantees that Apple won’t use Touch ID on the upcoming iPhone 16 series. According to this leak, most of the devices used for this tech have been shut down and sealed.
Using a translation tool, here’s what the Weibo user wrote:
There have been recent reports indicating that Apple is considering implementing fingerprint recognition in the new iPhone. The fingerprint recognition chip utilizes a specialized 8-inch process. However, many of the devices originally equipped with this technology for Apple’s fingerprint recognition have been shut down and sealed. This suggests that Apple is likely not pursuing fingerprint recognition as the primary method for unlocking their phones.
In addition, with rumors expecting Apple to adopt a similar iPhone 14 design to the upcoming iPhone SE 4, this would mean Cupertino will stop selling iPhones with a fingerprint scanner for good.
The last time we heard from a trusted source regarding Touch ID was in 2021 when Bloomberg reported Apple tested an under-display fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 13. Then, in 2023, Korean blog Naver user yeux1122 said Apple could debut this technology two to three years after the company unveils the under-panel Face ID – although it seems very unlikely.
Since Apple debuted Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017, the company never looked back. While no other smartphone maker was able to reproduce the safeness of Face ID, rumors insist that Apple might offer Touch ID again for its phones.
Over the years, Apple could’ve added other iterations of finger biometric scanners on its smartphone by implementing it to the Side Button, as it did with the iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad 10. But it doesn’t seem Apple is really concerned about this technology anymore.
In addition, in three years, the company will be focused on other things, such as expanding its headsets from mixed reality to augmented reality and foldable devices.
