Touch ID biometrics rumored for iPhone 12, Apple postpones mass production by one month

Apple could be bringing back Touch ID for its iPhone 12 higher-end models by the end of 2020, writes Apple Insider, as rumors say the company has partnered with BOE and Qualcomm to integrate an ultrasonic fingerprint reader in the OLED display.

Face ID was used as an alternative after Apple introduced the large phone displays with the release of iPhone X. According to the Economic Daily News, a GIS touch panel factory will produce the components. The fingerprint scanners in the Samsung Galaxy S20 series were provided by GIS and Qualcomm.

A new under-display optical fingerprint sensor technology for iPhones and other devices has been described by Apple in a patent filing recently spotted by Patently Apple. Leaked images on Twitter feature an iPhone 12 with a smaller notch with the same number of sensors to keep Face ID biometrics fully functional.

However, the mass-production production of the 2020 flagship phones with 5G connectivity has been postponed by a month, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Wall Street Journal reports. Four new phones, some with 5G connectivity, will still be launched later this year, according to the report.

Before the pandemic, the anticipation of 5G phones made Apple shares climb, and an analyst told the Journal that a delay should not worry investors as long as the company can deliver the devices before the holiday season.

Apple is reducing the number of devices it plans to make in the second half of the year by about 20 percent, but it is unclear if the additional units will be produced in 2021. The new devices are expected to be mass-produced from July to September, while traditionally iPhones have been announced in mid-September for sales at the end of the month.

iPhone assembly manufacturer Foxconn has fired the workers hired in February to increase production, cut overtime payments, and stopped hiring workers for now.

Article Topics

Apple  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint readers  |  iPhone  |  smartphones  |  Touch ID