Apple will use optical fingerprint technology in the next iPhone that will allow Touch ID to be integrated into the glass on the front of the smartphone, according to a new report.
The report, published by the Economic Daily News (via Digitimes), claims Apple will not put the fingerprint sensor on the back of the device, as many had speculated it might.
Instead, the company is said to have chosen the more elegant solution of allowing the user to place their fingerprint on the glass front to unlock their phone.
Related: iPhone 8
Many analysts have predicted the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 8 would be integrated into the display, though some have claimed Apple is facing difficulties developing the necessary technology.
The company has previously touted the functionality of its Taptic Engine in replicating the feel of a user pressing a button without a physical click required.
But developing a working, in-display fingerprint sensor is a much more difficult technology to develop, which is the likely reason Samsung opted to place the sensor on the rear of its recent Galaxy S8.
The new report also claims Apple will be ditching the standard 16:9 aspect ratio in favour of a Samsung S8 chocolate bar-esque 18.5:9 ratio.
This report coincides with previous rumours that the next iPhone will have an incredibly high screen-to-body ratio that leaves next to no bezels visible on front of the device.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of this report is the claim that the information has come from TSMC, the company that’s allegedly manufacturing Apple’s A11 chip, which is said to power the next iPhone.
The fate of the home button has been debated somewhat in the 2017 iPhone with earlier rumours suggesting it had moved to the back of the device to a position similar to the Google Pixel.
For now, it remains unclear what the plan is in that respect, as there’s no way to verify the latest report so approach all the claims with due caution for now.
The iPhone 8 is expected to be debuted around September, so expect the cavalcade of leaks and rumours to continue in the coming months.
Where do you want to see the home button placed in the next iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
