iPhones won't get Touch ID in 2023

Touch ID on iPhones! That was a golden age! Just touch the Home button, and your iPhone is unlocked; no password needed, no awkward looking at your phone. But ever since the iPhone X came along, we have been used to snooping on our iPhones to let them unlock. With the advent of COVID and face masks, unlocking your iPhone became a chore. Rumours eventually surfaced of future iPhones considering a return of the Touch ID sensor in the under-display scanner format, as used by several Android phones. If you were among the group of people expecting the same, prepare for disappointment.

The popular Apple analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, suggests that the next-generation iPhone will not get Touch ID. Touch ID isn't making its way back to high-end iPhones anytime soon. Face ID will continue to be the only biometric unlocking solution on these phones.

iPhones won't get Touch ID in 2023

"I previously predicted iPhones would support under-display fingerprint sensing/Touch ID in 2023 at the earliest. But the latest survey indicates new iPhones in 2023 & 2024 may not adopt under-display Touch ID. Face ID with a mask on iPhone is already a great biometrics solution," says Kuo in his note.

While this may be sad for many, the fact is that Face ID is more secure and now works with face masks as well. Additionally, Face ID also works in collaboration with the Apple Watch, if you have one.

But it's bizarre to see Apple resisting this technology in its iPhones, primarily when Android flagships rely on under-display scanner technology for their biometric verification process. Moreover, it is usually easy to unlock in most situations, and with ultrasonic technology, you can even unlock it with wet fingers.

Also, Apple is still using Touch ID on some of its most popular products, including its new third-generation iPhone SE, which still has the fingerprint scanner on its home button. The latest iPad Air 5th generation and iPad 10.1-inch also have Touch ID. Many Macs and MacBooks also rely on Touch ID to quickly unlock their systems.

While Apple has yet to comment on this, it sounds like you'll have to settle for Face ID if your hopes were pinned on an iPhone 14 with a Touch ID sensor.