The headline "Apple Working on Under-Display Touch ID, Could Debut in First All-Screen iPhone" suggests that Apple is developing a new technology: under-display Touch ID, which might be introduced in the upcoming iPhone models, leading to the creation of the first iPhone with an all-screen design.
"Under-display Touch ID" refers to a fingerprint recognition system integrated beneath the device's screen, allowing users to unlock their iPhones or authenticate transactions by placing their finger on a designated area of the display.
The term "all-screen iPhone" indicates a device with minimal or no bezels, providing users with a larger and more immersive screen experience. This design concept is in contrast to earlier iPhone models that had prominent bezels at the top and bottom of the screen.
The potential integration of under-display Touch ID suggests Apple's commitment to enhancing user convenience and security, especially as an alternative or complement to other biometric authentication methods like Face ID.
For more comprehensive information, one would need to refer to the specific details provided in the article to understand the development progress, features, and the anticipated timeline for the debut of this technology in Apple's product lineup.
Just this week, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.
Despite this, recent predictions as to when under-screen Touch ID might be introduced, if at all, have been pushed back. In a September 2021 research note, Kuo had predicted that Apple would launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023. But seven months later, Kuo said Apple was unlikely to release any iPhone models with under-screen Touch ID in 2023 or 2024.
Apple did test an under-screen fingerprint scanner for at least some iPhone 13 models, according to trusted reports, but Apple apparently decided not to move forward with the idea.
In the latest development, according to news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean Naver blog, industry sources now believe that Apple will debut under-screen Touch ID in the two to three years following the debut of under-panel Face ID.
Judging by the pace of development of under-panel technology as outlined in industry consultant Ross Young's roadmap, this suggests we could see a new under-screen version of Touch ID in a 2026 iPhone at the earliest, possibly in the same year that Apple is expected to move both Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display.
Of course, we cannot be certain that Apple will ever put Touch ID under iPhone screens. There also remains a possibility that Apple instead introduces an iPhone with Touch ID built into the power button, in line with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models, but there haven't been any rumors to suggest that Apple plans to go down that avenue.