A new report from renowned mobile industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo lends further credibility to the speculation that Apple is planning to incorporate in-display fingerprint scanning into at least one forthcoming iPhone model.

Kuo doesn’t focus on this technology specifically, but asserts in his latest report that at least one iPhone planned for Apple’s 2020 iPhone lineup will have a considerably smaller notch, the indentation at the top of the iPhone display that houses sensors used for Apple’s 3D facial recognition system, Face ID. The report arrives alongside an investor note from Credit Suisse suggesting that Apple’s China-based suppliers are working on iPhone displays entirely without notches.

The speculation is that for at least one future iPhone, Apple is considering ditching Face ID in favor of the kind of in-display fingerprint scanning technology that is increasingly favored by rival smartphone brands. It would be a surprising shift, given Apple’s recent emphasis on Face ID; as 9to5Mac reports, a new iPhone ad debuted this week that called Face ID “even easier and more secure” than Apple’s trailblazing Touch ID fingerprint scanning system. But another recent report suggested Apple was looking to replace Face ID with Touch ID on a cheaper iPhone model aimed at helping Apple to compete in the China market.

This is all just speculation, of course. Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about its plans for future products, perhaps especially the iPhone. But given the growing prominence of the in-display fingerprint scanning trend in the industry, it’s not far-fetched to imagine that Apple is experimenting with adding this technology to its iPhone lineup.

Source: 9to5Mac