“It would be a surprising move for Apple after the company dropped fingerprint scanning in its pivot to 3D facial recognition, but Apple has gestured in this direction in recent patents…”
Analysts with Barclays have laid out some predictions for Apple’s 2019 and 2020 iPhones, and they include a potential comeback for Touch ID.
The predictions are based on the analysts’ recent meetings with representatives from Apple’s supply chain in Asia, and encompass numerous design aspects. They don’t at all suggest that Apple will move away from the trailblazing Face ID authentication system introduced in 2017’s iPhone X, but they do suggest that the 2020 lineup of iPhones could feature a version of Touch ID based on acoustic imaging technology that would allow the fingerprint scanning system to be integrated into the device display.
Not only would that enable in-display fingerprint scanning, but it could extend the functionality across the entire screen.
It would be a surprising move for Apple after the company dropped fingerprint scanning in its pivot to 3D facial recognition, but Apple has gestured in this direction in recent patents, and meanwhile numerous competitors have embraced in-display fingerprint scanning as a novel technological innovation that can help their devices to stand out.
As for full-screen in-display fingerprint scanning, the head of prominent fingerprint biometrics specialist Precise Biometrics recently predicted that this could be the next wave in this field, while China-based optoelectronics firm AU Optronics announced the first such display solution at last week’s SID Display Week trade show.
Among the Barclays analysts’ other predictions for the 2020 iPhones are 5G support, 3D imaging through the rear-facing camera system, and a full transition to OLED screens. This year’s new iPhones, meanwhile, are expected to be largely the same as those of 2018, with the notable exception of a three-camera rear imaging system.
Sources: MacRumors, AppleInsider
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