‘Final’ iPhone 8 Renders Point to New Home for Touch ID

New renders of the next major iPhone suggest Apple might move Touch ID to the power button.

The images come by way of Forbes contributor Gordon Kelly, who says that iPhone case designer Nodus provided him with CAD files indicating the final design of what he calls “the iPhone 8”. The designs indicate that Apple is indeed going with a full-size display, meaning it’s getting rid of the home button, where its Touch ID fingerprint scanning system has resided in previous models.

Where is Touch ID going, then? This is where things get more speculative. Apple is widely thought to have been working to integrate Touch ID into the device’s display, and to that end has encountered such difficulties that the iPhone could be substantially delayed; indeed, in a note to investors this week a Morgan Stanly analyst said the device will likely launch in October, rather than September. But the new design renders suggest that Apple may have a back-up plan: The power button situated on the side of the device is about twice as large as in previous iPhones, which could mean that it will be the new home for Touch ID.

Other design features ‘confirmed’ by the new renders include a vertically-aligned dual camera system offering strong AR applications and a Lightning cable port.

Sources: Forbes, International Business Times, Business Insider, 9to5Mac