Apple won’t add fingerprint readers to 2019 iPhone displays

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Touch ID
Fingerprint readers will probably never be embedded in iPhone displays.
Photo: Apple

iPhone fans hoping that Apple will bring back its beloved Touch ID features are in for some disappointment.

There were rumors for years that Apple was trying to embed a fingerprint reader into iPhone displays. One of the most reliable Apple analysts in the game is predicting that the technology will not make it to iPhones. Or if it does, it won’t come out this decade.

The 2019 iPhone lineup won’t include fingerprint on display technology (FOD), according to Ming-Chi Kuo’s latest note. Apple is expected to go all-in on Face ID for this year’s iPhones. Even though its biggest Android rivals are adding FOD tech to their phones, Apple has allegedly moved on from it.

Touch ID is dead

In a note sent to investors today, Kuo says Android manufacturers view FOD as a way to differentiate themselves from the iPhone. Apple is undeterred though.

“We expect [2019] iPhone models will not support FOD. The reasons are as follows: (1) The user feedback on the iPhone is lower than expected. (2) The user feedback on the first FOD smartphone, Vivo’s X21 FOD version, is higher than expected, and (3) FOD is the best fingerprint recognition solution for the full-screen design which is necessary for a high-end smartphone.”

Apple is expected to unveil its 2018 iPhone lineup during an event at the Steve Jobs Theater on September 12. Face ID will be added to all three new iPhone models. Other new features will include an A12 processor, more RAM, improved cameras and new color options.

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