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Apple To Ditch Touch ID Altogether For All of Next Year's iPhones (macrumors.com)

Earlier this week, a report said that Apple is planning to equip next year's iPad Pro with the hardware necessary for Face ID. Now, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it appears the company is taking that one step further with its 2018 iPhones. All of the iPhones Apple plans to produce next year will reportedly abandon the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in favor of facial recognition. Mac Rumors reports: According to Kuo, Apple will embrace Face ID as its authentication method for a competitive advantage over Android smartphones. Kuo has previously said that it could take years for Android smartphone manufacturers to produce technology that can match the TrueDepth camera and the Face ID feature coming in the iPhone X. Face ID, says Kuo, will continue to be a major selling point of the new iPhone models in 2018, with Apple planning to capitalize on its lead in 3D sensing design and production. Kuo's prediction suggests that all upcoming 2018 iPhones will feature a full-screen design with minimal bezels like the iPhone X, meaning no additional models with the iPhone 8/iPhone 8 Plus design would be produced. That would spell the end of the line for Touch ID in the iPhone, which has been available as a biometric authentication option since 2013.

6 of 137 comments (clear)

  1. Nobody Cares by sexconker · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Apple fans will buy anything, with or a headphone jack, with or without a fingerprint scanner, with or without whatever.

  2. Re:Umm I live in the frozen north. by Presence+Eternal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To be fair, you'd probably have gloves on under similar circumstances.

  3. Apple putting design over usability AGAIN by Shepanator · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I unlock my phone multiple times per day in situations where my face wouldn't be visible to the face id sensor. Not only that even in situations where face id WOULD work a fingerprint sensor is faster anyway, because your finger can have unlocked the phone before you've even bought it up to your face from your pocket. This is apple hurting usability to serve design once again. When the technology to have fingerprint scanners under the screen is finally ready they will look like fools.

  4. No thanks Apple by the_skywise · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As a current owner of an iPhone 6, I have absolutely NO intention of ever upgrading to an iPhone X. I like the touchId but, more importantly, I like an actual physical BUTTON on the 6. I don't even like the recessed divot for the 7 or the 8 as there's no substitute for it when wearing gloves (and no, haptic feedback is NOT a substitute).

    I don't even understand how Tim thinks that Face ID is unique to the iPhone when Microsoft already offers it for their Surface Pros and, surely, Google can buy the tech if need be.

    This is nothing more than Tech CEO masturbation to keep the churn rate going. Cook is out of ideas and out of his depth. Apple is stagnating and no longer innovating while ignoring core infrastructure and support. For example I had to help out a friend do an upgrade from their iPhone 5 to iPhone 7 after iOS 11 came out. Guess what, iTunes backup will NOT let you update because the iOS' are different - but if you go through the iCloud update you can. Why? Because that's why. Why are the backup scenarios different between the iCloud and iTunes?

    But hey, Tim's brought us animoji, so uh, there's that.

  5. Black Electrical Tape by ad454 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just place black electrical tape over the front camera.

    For those of us who are not into selfies or video chatting. The rear camera is still available for taking pictures/videos.

    I still do not understand why manufactures do not place physical shutters over camera, considering all of the 3 letter agencies and criminals that target our devices.

  6. Re:Umm I live in the frozen north. by JohnFen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My gloves have conductive fingertips. I can use my phone without taking them off.