The Coronavirus pandemic turned 2020 into an era of masks. While we tried to curb the spread of the infection, our masked face revealed a major problem with a popular Apple technology. Face ID did not play well with masks and forced users to input the PIN code to unlock their iPhone. A temporary fix saw Apple push users directly to the PIN screen when Face ID failed. Now, as the reports suggest, the Cupertino giant is working on a more permanent solution and we can expect to see it in action with the iPhone 13.
As reported by Bloomberg, Apple is planning to bring back Touch ID with the next iPhone. This is great news for Apple fanboys. But, what’s even better is the fact that iPhone 13 might include an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The company is testing the in-display fingerprint technology right now, says the report. This means the physical fingerprint sensor, which was moved to the power button with the latest iPad Air, will remain a highlight of the tablet. It will not make its way to the next-gen iPhone. Instead, you can expect the recently launched second-gen Qualcomm ultrasonic fingerprint sensor to find its way into iPhone 13. It is bigger and faster than its previous-gen sensor and more secure than optical sensors.
Now, Apple might be testing in-display fingerprint sensors but it will not replace Face ID. The in-display Touch ID will sit alongside Face ID as one of the biometric authentication features. Apple now wants to give users an alternative when they can’t use Face ID.
The company first popularised fingerprint sensors with the iPhone 5S. But, it swapped out the fingerprint scanner for a sensor-laden notch that enabled Face ID, which Apple considers to be more secure. It was rolled out with the iPhone X back in 2017. Now, the report further suggests that the next iPhone will not bring major design changes. Apple engineers consider this as an ‘S’ upgrade. Be it iPhone 12S or iPhone 13, I am excited to have both Face ID and Touch ID aboard my next iPhone.
