New rumors hint at in-screen Touch ID and Face ID biometrics on iPhone 13

The upcoming iPhone 13 lineup could feature biometric authentication with a combination of in-screen Touch ID and Face ID, a new report by the Wall Street Journal suggests.

The rumors, particularly regarding in-screen Touch ID, could potentially corroborate a patent application for an optical in-display biometric sensor Apple published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last month.

Now, the WSJ report seems to confirm Apple’s intentions in this direction.

According to the report, two former employees said the company “has been working on in-screen fingerprint technology and has considered including both Touch ID and Face ID on the same device.”

The introduction of an improved fingerprint scanner by Apple is widely expected, according to Patently Apple, given the recent release of the S21 Galaxy Ultra’ ultrasonic fingerprint biometric scanner.

The need for fingerprint-based biometric authentication is more relevant than ever today since the use of face covers is mandatory in most countries.

And while several companies, including Apple, have already introduced face recognition algorithms capable of identifying individuals, most of those are not particularly efficient, often taking up to three seconds to unlock an iPhone via Face ID while wearing a face mask.

This would make the presence of in-screen Touch ID technology a pleasant addition to future iPhone devices, allowing users to easily switch between face and fingerprint biometric authentication.

In-display technologies are gaining momentum in the smartphone industry, to allow for an “all-screen” experience.

Beyond fingerprint sensors, manufacturers are also working on under-screen cameras, with a leak reported by Sparrows News appearing to show Chinese company Meizu will implement the technology in its upcoming Meizu 18 Series. The in-display Meizu camera, however, does not appear to be a 3D camera like the iPhone’s.

Will 2021 see in-screen Touch ID and Face ID on iPhone 13 devices? While Apple has not formally confirmed this, the new rumors and various patents seem to hint that is going to be the case.

Article Topics

Apple  |  authentication  |  biometric sensors  |  biometrics  |  Face ID  |  iPhone  |  smartphones  |  Touch ID  |  under display