Apple may bring back Touch ID on the iPhone 13: Report

When Apple first replaced Touch ID on iPhones with Face ID, fingerprint sensors on iPhones seemed like a thing of the past. However, last year, the Cupertino-based tech giant introduced an entire lineup of iPhones with OLED panels, instead of older LCD screens, a first for Apple.

Now, the company might be looking to bring back the technology. However, the latest iteration of Touch ID will likely use an in-display fingerprint reader. This is not the first report of an in-display fingerprint reader of the iPhone, but it does indicate that Apple has ramped up its effort and is making progress towards that end.

While the reports to revert to Touch ID are gaining strength, Apple isn’t about to replace Face ID. It will likely give users the option to choose between Face ID or Touch ID on the next-gen iPhones. MacRumors reported that a former employee claimed that the company was working on an optical in-display fingerprint sensor rather than the less reliable ultrasonic solution.

Apple will also look to the most secure iteration of the technology before adopting it in the new iPhones. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were the last of the iPhones to use Touch ID. However, Apple’s fingerprint recognition technology is currently available on MacBook devices and some iPad models.

With the iPhone 12 series, Apple made a pretty dramatic shift from LCD to OLED panel technology on all models, so it would make sense for the company to bring back a new version of Touch ID. In-display fingerprint scanners are quite common on both premium and mid-range Android phones, which might leave Apple playing catch-up.