In autumn, three new iPhone models introduced - these are said to be the successors to the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. But now a report has surfaced that a fourth iPhone model is coming into play.
Apple is reportedly planning to introduce a new iPhone. The special feature: It has a fingerprint sensor directly under the display - Touch ID 2.0. It is intended exclusively for the Chinese market. At least that is what The Global Times claims. According to the English-language Chinese newspaper, Apple will only sell the new "tailor-made iPhone" in the Middle Kingdom in order to compensate for the declining iPhone sales, which have been significantly exacerbated by the trade war between the USA and China. According to the report, the new smartphone will not be equipped with Apple's facial recognition system Face ID, but will have Touch ID 2.0. The fingerprint sensor will be placed directly under the display in the as yet completely unknown device.
Touch ID under the display – the idea is not new
The rumor was first spread by the Chinese news site caijing.com.cn, citing sources from the supply chain. "The device would be incredibly cheap to produce," said an industry insider. In fact, there are some patentsthat demonstrate Apple's research in this direction - yet many observers believe that Apple wants to finally replace Touch ID with Face ID in the long term.
At the moment, only entry-level devices are equipped with Apple's fingerprint technology - this allows for a lower entry-level price, but analysts assume that the company will not continue this policy permanently. Although the rumor is completely new and sounds absurd to many, there may be something to it.
Significantly cheaper than Face ID
Apple is said to have already planned to have Touch ID under the display on the iPhone X, but failed to implement it. The company may now have found a solution to the problem. The production costs for such technology are much cheaper than for Face ID. Some believe that Apple will continue to use the well-known Touch ID with the new system under the display in order to continue to be able to offer affordable entry-level devices. It remains to be seen whether Apple will actually introduce such a device this year - so far there have been no statements from renowned analysts or leakers on this matter. Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen.) for 19.99 euros – only for a short time
