We have some news for anyone emotionally attached to the idea of an embedded Touch ID feature on the new iPhone. According to the latest round of insider claims, it may not be a thing that’s actually happening.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is reporting that Apple has decided to ditch plans for an embedded fingerprint recognition feature in the iPhone 8. AppleInsider obtained an alleged “note to investors” last week that said such plans had been canceled, though it’s not currently clear when exactly the decision was finalized. This latest whispering, potentially, puts to rest previous rumors that Apple had eyes on some sort of beneath-the-panel sensory design that would allow for a full-face (i.e. no physical home button) display.
The latest report from Kuo, who’s now guessing that competitor Samsung will include some form of embedded fingerprint hardware in the Galaxy Note 9, arrives mere days after a HomePod firmware update revealed multiple lines of code regarding BKFaceDetect. Developers, including Steven Troughton-Smith, scoured the code and determined that the iPhone 8 will potentially boost infrared face unlock capabilities.
Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8+, meanwhile, still allow for users to unlock the device using a fingerprint. If Apple is doing away with Touch ID altogether with the debut of the iPhone 8 next month, this wouldn’t mark the first time the tech giant has taken a sudden leap away from a widely used feature in search of something new. The iPhone 7s and 7s Plus are expected to keep Touch ID, and will—of course—not be equipped with many of the iPhone 8’s most talked about possible upgrades.
As reported last week, one of the 10th anniversary device’s most brag worthy rumored features is the ability to capture 4k video at 60 fps on both the front-facing and rear-facing cameras.
Source: Complex