Apple could launch an iPhone with under-display fingerprint scanner in China

The iPhone 11 is still a couple of months away from its official launch. The iOS flagship has been surrounded by leaks and speculations since months. A latest report suggests that Apple would introduce a special variant of the iPhone for China and bring back TouchID.

Apple killed the TouchID on iPhones with the launch of iPhone X. The company is now rumoured to bring the feature back in iPhone 11, which would be specific to China. This could be a very unlikely move by Apple as the company has never launched an iPhone for a specific region. According to a report by The Global Times, Apple could launch an iPhone with in-display fingerprint scanner to compete with the local manufacturers like Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo in China.

Industry sources told The Global Times that Apple could ditch the FaceID and replace it with an under-display fingerprint scanner on an OLED. By replacing FaceID, Apple would cut costs on the TrueDepth camera system that is more expensive than the fingerprint scanning tech.

Along with the iPhone X, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR come with a TrueDepth camera system for FaceID. Many Chinese manufacturers offer a less secure version of FaceID, mostly called as face unlock, on their smartphones with an in-display fingerprint scanner as an alternative. In spite of offering the two types of biometrics, these smartphones are far more affordable than the iPhone.

The report does not feel to hold any ground, mainly due to Apple’s history of not launching region-specific products. The tech giant also does not compromise on security. Hence, it is very unlikely that Apple would replace the FaceID with an under-display fingerprint scanner, unless the latter is more secure.