Waiting for Touch ID on 2023 iPhones? Disappointment galore, says analyst

Touch ID on next-gen iPhone models is not happening, suggests Kuo in his latest note.

Flagship 2023 iPhones with Touch ID aren't happening. Check out why. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

Touch ID on iPhones! That was a golden era! You simply tap on your Home button and your iPhone unlocks — no passcode needed, no looking at your phone awkwardly. But ever since the iPhone X came in, we are used to peep into our iPhones to let it unlock. With the onset of COVID and face masks, it became a task to unlock your iPhone. Rumours eventually popped up 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 bunch of people hoping for the same, prepare for some disappointment.

Ming-Chi Kuo, the popular Apple analyst, suggests that the next-gen iPhone won't be getting the Touch ID. In fact, the Touch ID is not making a return on the high-end iPhones anytime soon in any way. Face ID will continue to remain on these phones as the only biometric unlock solution.

iPhones to not 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 remains that the Face ID is more secure and now works with face masks too. Additionally, Face ID also works in collaboration with the Apple Watch, if you have one on you.

But this is indeed weird to see Apple resist this technology on its iPhones, especially when Android flagships rely on the under-display scanner tech for their biometric verification process. It is often easy to unlock in most situations and with the ultrasonic tech, you can even unlock with wet fingers.

Moreover, Apple itself keeps using Touch ID in some of the its popular products, including its brand-new iPhone SE 3rd Gen, which still holds the fingerprint scanner on its Home button. The latest iPad Air 5th Gen and iPad 10.1-inch also rely on Touch ID. A lot of Macs and MacBooks also rely on the Touch ID system to quickly unlock their systems.

While Apple is yet to speak up on this, it seems you will have to make do with Face ID if your hopes were pinned on an iPhone 14 with a Touch ID sensor.