iPhone 13 could resurrect Touch ID after iPhone 12 Face ID flop

Apple set to bring back Touch ID for iPhone 13, but it'll have to compete with Galaxy S21's superfast fingerprint sensor

iPhone Touch ID
(Image credit: Apple)
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There has been no shortage of iPhone 13 rumors, and the latest one points to the return of Touch ID. We could see the security feature make a return to sit alongside Face ID Apples next smartphone.

Since the launch of the iPhone X, Apple has abandoned its Touch ID technology in favor of Face ID, claiming that facial recognition is a more secure method for locking and unlocking your smartphone. But now it seems Apple is backtracking on its Face ID-only plan.

The latest leak comes via Jon Prosser on Front Page Tech. According to his sources, there are currently two working iPhone 13 prototypes that support both Touch ID and Face ID. 

Specifically, the prototypes are said to utilize under-display Touch ID, meaning you'll press your fingerprint to the touch screen – a necessary step, given the removal of any bottom button after the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR launches.

As Prosser points out, this move may not be a 'backtrack' so much as it is a necessary change during the current pandemic. Wearing a face mask hinders Face ID, as it can't properly recognize your features; therefore, Apple needs to include an alternative. 

Samsung still looks to be miles ahead on this front, with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra reported to be sporting an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that boasts almost twice the unlocking speed of the Galaxy S20.

This is only the latest in a long line of iPhone 13 leaks and rumors, many of which are specifically about a longer battery life thanks to a potential switch from Apple's standard OLED screen to  low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LPTO) thin-film transistors (TFT). 

This technology, currently present in the Samsung Galaxy S20 line, allows for a variable refresh rate, switching between 1Hz and 120 Hz depending on what the phone is being used for at a given time. This saves energy and thus, also preserves battery life. 

Of course, the iPhone 12 hasn't been on the market long itself, so probably we have quite a while before we hear official news from Apple. Until then, expect more leaks, rumors, and patents to pore over.

Source: Front Page Tech

Tony Wilson
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