When Apple released the iPhone X last year, the company made it a point to highlight the notion that the device’s Face ID is a superior security feature than the beloved Touch ID that debuted on the iPhone 5S. If recent patents are any indication, however, it might only be a matter of time before Apple reintroduces Touch ID to its lineup of devices.
The feature outlined in the patent, which was spotted by Patently Apple , would likely not make it to the 2018 iPhones, but the feature itself might not take years to implement either. This is because the tech outlined in the document, which is designated with a patent application number 20180225498, is already available in the market. Quite interestingly, the patent was also filed by Apple engineer Dale Setlak, who used to work for Authentec, a company that the Cupertino-based tech giant that bought back in 2012 to acquire technology that eventually got released as Touch ID.
Setlak’s filings outline a design involving the use of multiple cameras under the smartphone’s display, which would enable the device to map the 3D structure of a user’s fingerprint for authentication. This is a bit similar to the tech used in devices like the Vivo X21 and the rumored Samsung Galaxy S10. However, Apple’s patent takes the idea a step further, with the system working pretty much anywhere on the display.
In a way, the upcoming generation of Touch ID stands as yet another sign that Apple is pushing its devices’ security systems forward. Apple envisions the iPhone to be an eventual replacement for documents like passports in the future, and having an improved fingerprint sensor would definitely aid the tech giant in accomplishing that goal. Coupled with Face ID, the improved, display-based Touch ID could even create an incredibly secure system that would only respond once Face ID and Touch ID recognize the user. Such a system would make Apple’s already secure devices even more secure.
The latest iterations of the iPhone X are expected to be unveiled sometime within the next few weeks. For now, speculations are abounding that Apple is releasing three new devices this year — a direct successor to the iPhone X, a larger iPhone X Plus, and a budget LCD-screened 6.1-inch iPhone. Pricing for the devices is yet to be announced, though speculations are high that the smartphones would be priced more competitively than Apple’s previous flagships.
Speculations are also high that Apple would unveil its latest iPhones, together with a revamped Apple Watch Series 4 and possibly even a new MacBook Air, on September 12, 2018, according to a Forbes report.
