It’s been one of the longest-running rumour sagas of the summer: will Apple manage to work out how to embed its fingerprint-scanning tech under the screen of the iPhone 8, or will it have to end up putting a sensor on the back like everyone else? Or is the company completely ditching Touch ID in general?
Well, as September rapidly approaches, it looks like Apple has run out of time to get the under-glass option ready. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most well-respected Apple analysts out there, says Apple is abandoning the idea until next year.
According to a report from AppleInsider, Kuo says Apple has “cancelled” plans to embed a fingerprint recognition solution in the next-generation flagship iPhone. Kuo believes that Samsung will be the first to use under-screen optical fingerprint hardware in next year’s Galaxy Note 9.
“With embedded fingerprint readers not in play, exactly what ilk of biometric security Apple plans to use in iPhone 8 remains unclear,” reads the report. “Previously, Kuo suggested a two-step fingerprint and facial recognition system would replace Touch ID as we know it.”
“Indeed, multiple sources have affirmed that the next-generation handset will sport a front-facing camera capable of executing complex depth-sensing operations, but whether the system is accurate or secure enough for protecting user information is unknown,” the report continues.
It now looks very likely that Apple is going to use face recognition as an alternative to Touch ID, wherever the fingerprint sensor happens to end up – references to 3D face-scanning technology have been spotted in the HomePod firmware, so just a glance would be enough to unlock your phone.
