According to some sources, the rumored iPhone SE 4 is expected to adopt the design of the iPhone 14. This would make it the first “budget” iPhone to use Face ID instead of Touch ID. A self-proclaimed Integrated Circuit expert posted on Weibo (via Wccftech) that Apple has shut down production of the chips used for its iPhone fingerprint authentication feature. While Touch ID is still used on some iPad models, it seems that it will no longer be found on the iPhone as we currently know it.
Whether Apple decides to move only Face ID under the display or offer both Face ID and Touch ID under the glass, it looks like the days of pressing the home button to unlock an iPhone will soon be a thing of the past. Apple’s acquisition of Authentec in 2012 for $356 million led to the debut of Touch ID on the iPhone 5s home button in 2013. This technology made fingerprint scanning a regular feature on smartphones due to its reliability.
The introduction of the TrueDepth Camera in 2017 with the iPhone X meant that facial recognition could be as secure as using a fingerprint scanner. This paved the way for Face ID to be used for Apple Pay transactions and more. And although there were discussions about offering both Face ID and Touch ID on the iPhone, if the information from Weibo is accurate, the only possibility for this to happen is if both are placed under the display.
If Apple is indeed phasing out the chips required for Touch ID on the iPhone, it is likely that eventually, the iPad models currently using Touch ID will also be upgraded to feature Face ID. The only remaining question is whether there will be an under-display version of Touch ID as well.
