Apple Inc. could be developing a new two-step Touch ID fingerprint reader for prospective iPhones and iPads including the "iPhone 8" that will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the smartphone brand. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the tech giant is developing a new optical sensor that lies under the touch screen. The new tech might be ready for the 2017 iPhone.
Kuo is widely considered a top Apple analyst. A KGI report states that the tech company is developing an "under panel" system that improves its current "under glass" fingerprint recognition tech, according to 9 to 5 Mac.
Apple introduced the Touch ID sensor with the iPhone 5s in 2013. It upgraded it with a 2x faster sensor a few years later for the iPhone 6s. The Silicon Valley-based company reportedly has plans to use several new biometric technologies to develop "zero bezel" designs for Apple devices.
This new tech would get rid of the current system based on technology the company got in 2013. It purchased AuthenTec then. The world's biggest tech company would switch to an optical-style sensor.
Two versions of Apple's Touch ID Home Button have been rolled out since the launch of iPhone 5s. Various reports claim that Apple will bake the Home Button into the iPhone 8's touchscreen.
The Taiwanese analyst also claims in the report that Apple might remove fingerprint sensors from future iPhones. It is reportedly planning to add facial recognition as a new iPhone feature. It might event drop Touch ID later.
Face recognition has been around a long time. If it replaces fingerprint reading, however, the tech would have to be smart enough not to be tricked by an image, and used in a wide range of cases. The face-scanning feature must also be fast.
In addition to biometrics getting big upgrades for the next iPhones, Kuo has learned iPhone 7's current 3D Touch system will not function with iPhone 8's curved OLED panel, according to Engadget.
Apple will reportedly switch to a "film sensor." This upgrade would result in higher sensitivity and extra pressure levels, so iPhone users might not have to press as hard on the smartphone screen as now.
Kuo has an excellent track record for sharing fresh Apple news. Still, industry analysts make reports on future devices based on current information. That info could be changed or added to in the future.
It is still possible Kuo's report is a true vision of the next iPhone. The new tech would make it easier to unlock and use Apple's future smartphones and tablets.
Here's a Touch ID speed test for iPhone 6s/5s: