Ditching Touch ID in 'iPhone 8' wasn't Apple's first choice, was forced by technical restr...

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware
A new report claims that Apple clung on to hope that it could retain Touch ID in the "iPhone 8," and any delays in shipping the new unit are apparently related to last-minute changes waiting on a breakthrough in the sensor being embedded in the screen.




According to a summary of the OLED "iPhone 8" production by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Apple only gave up on the Touch ID technology in the new device as deadlines for a fall release approached. Compounding the problem, differences in production between OLED screens destined for Samsung's phones and the iPhone caused additional issues.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the iPhone screen's assembly process requires "more steps and more layers of adhesive" than other phones, leading to more assembly error. While the report claims that a discrete touch layer in the OLED screen is the issue, a more likely candidate is the new 3D Touch layer that Samsung does not have.

The Wall Street Journal expects the new high-end OLED phone to ship alongside the conventional LED models on September 22, and not in October, as a report earlier on Thursday suggested. This most recent report echoes one from Wednesday regarding OLED flagship availability.

Apple is expected to announce the three new iPhones with the high-end OLED model, and two other LED-based devices at the company's Sept. 12 press event. A refresh of the Apple TV adding 4K video as a playback option, and an LTE-equipped Apple Watch are also expected.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    markiezyymarkiezyy Posts: 16member
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    edited September 2017 doozydozenksecbonobob
  • Reply 2 of 45
    RacerhomieXRacerhomieX Posts: 95unconfirmed, member
    I believe it Was ALWAYS Apple's plan to create unique,seamless & Walled experiences.While TouchID is great, the Android competitors ,even though not offering the same level of security, had copied it. This 3D Sensing tech, is Apple's Trump Card. No one can even clone it for a Year or Two.I believe ,even more. The same was done with the Touch Bar on the Mac. No one can clone it, and now it delivers a Custom experience.This is just the beginning folks ,you just wait & see.
    edited September 2017 patchythepiratecornchip
  • Reply 3 of 45
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,103member
    markiezyy said:
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    How long have you been using your secret prototype? Oh, you haven’t got a secret prototype? Then how on earth do you feel qualified to judge how well it works, seeing as you’ve never, you know, used it?
    igorskyyoyo2222mike1stompyBluntjony0bdkennedy1002fastasleepboltsfan17cornchip
  • Reply 4 of 45
    robjnrobjn Posts: 283member
    This appears to be based on 'Foxconn' screenshots published on Twitter by Geskin that appeared to refer to features by code names . Toughton-Smith immediately dismissed them, Geskin seemed unsure of the authenticity of the images he posted.

    I can't believe Apple changed their mind about TouchID on the back - if the screenshots are genuine and the code name really does refer to TouchID. More likely they are fake!
  • Reply 5 of 45
    igorskyigorsky Posts: 774member
    markiezyy said:
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    Yes! Let's a believe a "report" from "sources familiar with the matter" over Apple's history of setting mobile security standards. That's what you're suggesting, right?
    Bluntwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 45
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,116member
    sog35 said:
    This is bullshit.

    Even if touch ID was possible behind the glass, that would still be dumb.

    Its like having a virtual click wheel on the iPhone just like the iPod.

    The home button is dead.  Its been 10 years.  Its time for something new.
    The best selling models since ten years are "dead" ? You dismiss all iPhone history in one stroke by defining hundreds of millions of iPhones sold to date "dead" !!! Good luck with your stock gambling.
    Soliirelandnetmage
  • Reply 7 of 45
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    Immediately after launch, will the media as a whole latch onto the lack of Touch ID as their big, never ending story?
    entropyswatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 45
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    sog35 said:
    markiezyy said:
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    its called progress 
    According to the article it's a failure. 
    Soliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 45
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,116member
    Immediately after launch, will the media as a whole latch onto the lack of Touch ID as their big, never ending story?
    If the OLED model lacks the TouchID at least in the Apple logo, unfortunately yes, and that will be equivalent to call that model a failure. Apple is certainly aware of that, and it will probably adjust the prices accordingly to ensure the sale of TouchID models.
    edited September 2017 doozydozen
  • Reply 10 of 45
    bobby88bobby88 Posts: 13member
    My worry would be how certain 3rd party apps that rely on Touch ID as a security feature will work. Obviously it's possible to switch back to manually inputting a password but that's not progress. I assume these 3rd party apps would need to try and integrate facial recognition but that's not going to be immediate and I've already forgotten most of my passwords ;D
  • Reply 11 of 45
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    markiezyy said:
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    I agree. The alternative had better be bullet-proof and just as convenient. If Apple stumbles on this, it'll have some real backlash to deal with.
    irelanddoozydozenlikethesky
  • Reply 12 of 45
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,116member
    bobby88 said:
    My worry would be how certain 3rd party apps that rely on Touch ID as a security feature will work. Obviously it's possible to switch back to manually inputting a password but that's not progress. I assume these 3rd party apps would need to try and integrate facial recognition but that's not going to be immediate and I've already forgotten most of my passwords ;D
    Not a big deal, apps must always check device capabilities before launching a feature, otherwise they crash. Developers will just add PearlID in the next version.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 13 of 45
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,103member
    bobby88 said:
    My worry would be how certain 3rd party apps that rely on Touch ID as a security feature will work. Obviously it's possible to switch back to manually inputting a password but that's not progress. I assume these 3rd party apps would need to try and integrate facial recognition but that's not going to be immediate and I've already forgotten most of my passwords ;D
    App APIs will likely rely on abstracted calls to the device for biometric authentication and receive a yes/no reply. They won’t have to know how to integrate it any more than the existing call to the TouchID API. In effect, a trivial change. 
    razorpitirelandbobby88cornchipdoozydozenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 45
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 13,103member
    mac_128 said:
    markiezyy said:
    "users will unlock the phone using either an old-fashioned password or what is expected to be a new facial-recognition feature" Wow this is so pathetic. I wasn't a fan of the touch ID on the back but i'd prefer that over not having it at all.
    I agree. The alternative had better be bullet-proof and just as convenient. If Apple stumbles on this, it'll have some real backlash to deal with.
    Gosh, I hope they’ve thought of that. 
    BluntrazorpitfastasleepcornchipRayz2016watto_cobranetmagedoozydozen
  • Reply 15 of 45
    NY1822NY1822 Posts: 621member
    "any delays in shipping the new unit are apparently related to last-minute changes waiting on a breakthrough in the sensor being embedded in the screen"

    pretty hysterical ...Apple was waiting for the phone to ring for a last minute breakthrough...and...the phone never rang
    macpluspluspatchythepiratecornchip
  • Reply 16 of 45
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member

    bobby88 said:
    My worry would be how certain 3rd party apps that rely on Touch ID as a security feature will work. Obviously it's possible to switch back to manually inputting a password but that's not progress. I assume these 3rd party apps would need to try and integrate facial recognition but that's not going to be immediate and I've already forgotten most of my passwords ;D
    There will most definitely be a period before some developers update their apps where it's going to be frustrating and confusing. Though, I would expect most apps work on the iPhone 5 & 5c, as well as numerous models of iPads, so they are likely already prepared to work on a device without Touch ID without much trouble at all, unless a developer has designed them incorrectly and/or limit the apps to Touch ID capable devices only.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    BluntBlunt Posts: 224member
    Am i the only one who is sick and tired of all these reports?
    larryjwwatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 45
    bengbeng Posts: 34member
    This good news.  Why? Because Touch ID never worked for me, so I couldn’t use it.  The reason is my rough and scaley fingertips. Now maybe they will come up with something I can actually use.  I would call that progress, regardless of how it occurred (necessity is the mother of all ……)
  • Reply 19 of 45
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,650member
    Blunt said:
    Am i the only one who is sick and tired of all these reports?
    Nah, there's probably a few regulars who are tired of reading these rumors. (So just don't read 'em, problem solved) ...But actually sick over it? Oh, I think there might be one or maybe two. ;)
    netmage
  • Reply 20 of 45
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,755member
    Touch Id is one of my favorite features on iPhone and iPad. Even on older models without Touch Id I find myself instinctively trying to use touch based identification for half a second or two. If it goes away I will definitely miss it a lot.

    Either way, a week from now we'll all be past the surprise stage and moving on to complaining about what didn't meet our own wish-list requirements. It may provide some solace to know that no matter how amazingly fantabulous the next version (or versions) of iPhones to be announced next week will be, the versions coming out next year will be even better. And as much as I'm eager to see what gets announced next week I've still not tired of the overall usefulness, utility, and (yes!) performance of my iPhone 6 Plus. The 6+ is nearly three years old and it still amazes. When my last iPhone (4s) was three years old I was ready to use it to prop up unbalanced table legs. The staying power of the 6/6+ may simply reflect a lack of progress on new iOS features that I don't know that I need yet, perhaps AI, AR, ML, 3D imaging, or something similarly processing intensive, but you have to admit that next week's announcement has a high bar to clear to be seen as a "absolute must have" upgrade over the stellar 6 and 7 series iPhones. 

    Is it Tuesday yet?
    edited September 2017 pscooter63watto_cobranetmage
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