Kuo: Touch ID And Face ID Will Coexist On 2021 iPhones

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in his latest research report that Apple is still interested in adopting the in-display fingerprint sensor on future iPhones. He expects that the new iPhone in 2021 will feature the in-screen Touch ID, and Apple will not give up Face ID, but rather a situation where they coexist.

Kuo said that the fingerprint on display is one of the most popular new features of Android phones in 2019. It is estimated that the shipment of Android phones with the feature will be 260–280 million this year, and 370-400 million units by 2020. Kuo explains that the reason why the fingerprint on display technology is widely welcomed is that it finds a balance between security and convenience.

Furthermore, Kuo explained that Face ID and fingerprint on display technology are complementary rather than competitive. He said that the in-screen fingerprint sensing provides more convenient authentication in specific situations, such as when using Face ID inconveniently, when using AR/VR wearables, and so on. The combination of the fingerprint on the screen and the Face ID coexist on the 2021 iPhone will make the iPhone more secure and easy to use due to multiple biometric features.

According to Apple's fingerprint on display-related patent applications, it is clear that the company is still interested in using it on an iPhone, so it's no wonder why Kuo believes that Apple will launch an iPhone with Touch ID support. Moreover, he predicts that the four key technologies for in-display fingerprint sensing, including module density, sensing region, energy consumption as well as fit yield, are expected to be significantly improved in the next year to a year and a half.

Finally, the analyst believes that in all fingerprint on display technologies, Apple is most likely to use the ones from Qualcomm's (supplies ultrasonic FOD module and lamination) and GIS' (supplies large-area sensing ultrasonic" technology).

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