Rumor: Integrating Touch ID into 'iPhone 8' display remains Apple's 'biggest bottleneck'
Apple is expected to introduce a number of new technologies in this year's anticipated flagship "iPhone 8," but it is the efforts to integrate the Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the handset's display that are apparently causing the company the most trouble.
"iPhone 8" OLED concept via iMore.
Citing his own supply chain field work, analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company issued a note to investors on Wednesday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider, detailing apparent yield issues for the so-called "iPhone 8."
"For the 5.8-inch OLED version, the biggest bottleneck remains integrating an under-glass fingerprint sensor into the display --the current yield rate of Apple's in-house AuthenTec solution remains low and AAPL seems unwilling to use other vendors' products," Arcuri wrote.
If Apple cannot resolve these issues, he believes there are three possible solutions the company could adopt:
Apple is expected to release three new iPhones this year, headlined by the "iPhone 8" with an edge-to-edge OLED panel featuring a 5.1-inch main area, with the rest dedicated to virtual buttons. Despite the jumbo-sized display, ditching the bezels is expected to allow Apple to squeeze a larger battery into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.
Apple is also expected to include a new 3D facial scanner that could enable biometric login via face or iris identification, as well as new augmented reality tools for developers. With a complete redesign expected, including a curved glass back with wireless charging, some reports have pegged the starting price of the "iPhone 8" at more than $1,000.
"iPhone 8" OLED concept via iMore.
Citing his own supply chain field work, analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company issued a note to investors on Wednesday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider, detailing apparent yield issues for the so-called "iPhone 8."
"For the 5.8-inch OLED version, the biggest bottleneck remains integrating an under-glass fingerprint sensor into the display --the current yield rate of Apple's in-house AuthenTec solution remains low and AAPL seems unwilling to use other vendors' products," Arcuri wrote.
If Apple cannot resolve these issues, he believes there are three possible solutions the company could adopt:
- The first option, which he admits is unlikely is to ditch Touch ID and rely solely on facial recognition.
- Apple could instead move Touch ID to the backside of the phone, as competing fingerprint scanners do, but Arcuri said this is not user friendly.
- Finally, Apple could delay production, but announce the handset alongside the "iPhone 7s" series.
Apple is expected to release three new iPhones this year, headlined by the "iPhone 8" with an edge-to-edge OLED panel featuring a 5.1-inch main area, with the rest dedicated to virtual buttons. Despite the jumbo-sized display, ditching the bezels is expected to allow Apple to squeeze a larger battery into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.
Apple is also expected to include a new 3D facial scanner that could enable biometric login via face or iris identification, as well as new augmented reality tools for developers. With a complete redesign expected, including a curved glass back with wireless charging, some reports have pegged the starting price of the "iPhone 8" at more than $1,000.
Comments
So other fingerprint tech vendors are in the same boat.
But again, it's analysts eating their own poop, there is no iPhone 8 slated for this year. They made this up wholesale. They pooped it, eat it and regurgitate it over and over.
For hackneyed wording, FLAGSHIP ranks right down there with "a REVAMPED line", "a BEVY of new models" and "SPORTING faster chips".
My guess it'll be iPhone, iPhone Plus, iPhone Pro, and maybe a updated iPhone SE. See, not a single number needed. Now it's just the 2017 model iPhone and 2018 iPhone an so on. Apple also dropped X on MacOSX. Why do you need the X. It doesn't make sense. Much better just being MacOS. Internally there's still revision numbers of 10.whatever. Normal people really just don't care.
I said that six years ago, yet here we are. The iPhone 15s will be out in 2033.
My great plates of meat hands really find that using a control on the back of the device just does not work.
Then when it is mounted on my car dash, using TouchID becomes impractical.
I realy hope that Apple don't put any controls on the rear of the phone. If they do, they lose me as a customer until they come to their senses.
-topic-
You know what I hate most about about Touch ID being embedded in the display? Now people are going to try and succeed to awkwardly put their finger in the middle of the display when that Touch ID Alert Prompt appears.
Absolutely nothing, I personally think it is really, really dumb.