Apple nixes plans to incorporate under-glass Touch ID in 'iPhone 8,' insider says
Apple has decided against an embedded Touch ID solution for its forthcoming "iPhone 8" handset, according to well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, leaving the door open for competitor Samsung to debut similar technology in next year's Galaxy Note 9.
Supposed "iPhone 8" chassis blanks with rear-mounted Touch ID modules, thought to be fake.
In a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo says Apple has "cancelled" plans to embed a fingerprint recognition solution in the next-generation flagship iPhone. The analyst left embedded Touch ID off a list of standout "iPhone 8" features published in July, but did not indicate that Apple had abandoned the initiative altogether.
It is not clear when Apple made the decision, but embedded Touch ID was one of the more hotly anticipated features for inclusion in this year's OLED iPhone release, with Kuo himself first hinting at its debut in January. Specifically, the analyst said Apple would swap out capacitive sensing technology in favor of an optical solution capable of accepting readings through OLED panel stacks. These under panel systems remove the need for a dedicated physical home button, allowing for full-face displays.
The prediction contradicts a slew of reports claiming Apple was on track to make under-glass fingerprint sensors a reality. In June, for example, Cowen and Company's Timothy Arcuri said Apple had landed at three potential options: thinning the cover glass over the fingerprint sensor area, creating a pinhole through the glass for a smaller sensor or integrating a thin film sensor into the display.
Recently released HomePod firmware seems to back up Kuo's assertions, however. Lines of code relating to the handset's "FaceDetect" software, referred to as "Pearl ID" in the firmware, show tie-ins with Apple Pay authentication. In particular, references to "pearl.field-detect" and "pearl.pre-arm" appear in a section of the firmware dedicated to Passbook payments and Apple Pay, suggesting methods of recognizing a user's face to facilitate fast access to Apple Pay's user interface.
Further, developer Steven Troughton Smith, who sifted through the HomePod code this week, has yet to find graphical assets that would suggest the inclusion of an under-screen Touch ID solution.
With embedded fingerprint readers not in play, exactly what ilk of biometric security Apple plans to use in "iPhone 8" remains unclear. Previously, Kuo suggested a two-step fingerprint and facial recognition system would replace Touch ID as we know it. Indeed, multiple sources have affirmed that the next-generation handset will sport a front-facing camera capable of executing complex depth-sensing operations, but whether the system is accurate or secure enough for protecting user information is unknown.
In today's note, Kuo notes Apple's decision gives segment competitor Samsung some breathing room for 2018. Without embedded Touch ID in "iPhone 8," the Korean company is unlikely to feel pressured into mimicking such technology in a next-generation "Galaxy S9" smartphone. This will allow Samsung to concentrate on further developing iris recognition and dual-camera functions.
Kuo predicts Samsung to ultimately incorporate under-screen optical fingerprint hardware with the "Galaxy Note 9," a phablet device expected to debut a few months after the Galaxy S9 and before the 2018 iPhone. The Korean tech giant will potentially tap Egis for both S9 and Note 9 fingerprint components, replacing current supplier Synaptics, Kuo says.
Supposed "iPhone 8" chassis blanks with rear-mounted Touch ID modules, thought to be fake.
In a note to investors obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo says Apple has "cancelled" plans to embed a fingerprint recognition solution in the next-generation flagship iPhone. The analyst left embedded Touch ID off a list of standout "iPhone 8" features published in July, but did not indicate that Apple had abandoned the initiative altogether.
It is not clear when Apple made the decision, but embedded Touch ID was one of the more hotly anticipated features for inclusion in this year's OLED iPhone release, with Kuo himself first hinting at its debut in January. Specifically, the analyst said Apple would swap out capacitive sensing technology in favor of an optical solution capable of accepting readings through OLED panel stacks. These under panel systems remove the need for a dedicated physical home button, allowing for full-face displays.
The prediction contradicts a slew of reports claiming Apple was on track to make under-glass fingerprint sensors a reality. In June, for example, Cowen and Company's Timothy Arcuri said Apple had landed at three potential options: thinning the cover glass over the fingerprint sensor area, creating a pinhole through the glass for a smaller sensor or integrating a thin film sensor into the display.
Recently released HomePod firmware seems to back up Kuo's assertions, however. Lines of code relating to the handset's "FaceDetect" software, referred to as "Pearl ID" in the firmware, show tie-ins with Apple Pay authentication. In particular, references to "pearl.field-detect" and "pearl.pre-arm" appear in a section of the firmware dedicated to Passbook payments and Apple Pay, suggesting methods of recognizing a user's face to facilitate fast access to Apple Pay's user interface.
Further, developer Steven Troughton Smith, who sifted through the HomePod code this week, has yet to find graphical assets that would suggest the inclusion of an under-screen Touch ID solution.
With embedded fingerprint readers not in play, exactly what ilk of biometric security Apple plans to use in "iPhone 8" remains unclear. Previously, Kuo suggested a two-step fingerprint and facial recognition system would replace Touch ID as we know it. Indeed, multiple sources have affirmed that the next-generation handset will sport a front-facing camera capable of executing complex depth-sensing operations, but whether the system is accurate or secure enough for protecting user information is unknown.
In today's note, Kuo notes Apple's decision gives segment competitor Samsung some breathing room for 2018. Without embedded Touch ID in "iPhone 8," the Korean company is unlikely to feel pressured into mimicking such technology in a next-generation "Galaxy S9" smartphone. This will allow Samsung to concentrate on further developing iris recognition and dual-camera functions.
Kuo predicts Samsung to ultimately incorporate under-screen optical fingerprint hardware with the "Galaxy Note 9," a phablet device expected to debut a few months after the Galaxy S9 and before the 2018 iPhone. The Korean tech giant will potentially tap Egis for both S9 and Note 9 fingerprint components, replacing current supplier Synaptics, Kuo says.
Comments
Kuo is making me mad with his total P.O.S. "notes"; he's shameless..
All those so called analysts right now are playing in garbage time...
Also, about Kuo, he should STFU, he's running at 20% accuracy right now just this year considering the long list of so called predictions.
Apple doesn't like shipping products that s*ck as often as Samsung does.
The user experience has to be great or Apple won't ship it just for the sake of shipping it.
Otherwise there is hell to pay for the Vice President in charge of that feature [as Scott Forstall learned years ago].
Samsung on the other hand washes their hands off of you after the sale.
This made it unacceptable.
/eye roll
Punctuation would, of necessity, render the quoted sentence meaningless.
I'm surprised that they could get it right in time
I ride motocycles. The law means that I have to wear a crash helmet. In winter I wear a silk balaclava underneath that. Coupled with active tint glasses there is often no bit of my face visible.
How would facial recog work then eh?
Now, with touch Id, I can simply stop the bike, take off one glove and touch the phone and I can use the phone. My crash helmet has BT connectivity to my phone.
Then you get people on building sites who have to wear protective gear and it is unlawful to remove them outside a building. So tinted safety spec would in many cases stop facial Id from working.
We shall have to wait and see how it works in reality but I am sure of one thing and that it Facial ID is not something that I want or need. TouchID works and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Just my thoughts on the topic which aren't worth anything so can be ignored.
I approach an NFC terminal, and rather than touching a button to authorise a payment, now I have to hold up the phone, take off my glasses (or put the on – did I have them in when I took the pic?), take off my hat, maybe have a shave…
Many Android reviews simply state, 'scanner on the rear' or 'scanner on the front' without making a deal out of it.
It really isn't such a big deal.
First, a blind person would have been accustomed to the position of the under glass sensor in less than an hour without any other cues. That's extremely easy for a blind person, no need to call in the Daredevil...
Second, and of course for blind persons Apple can very easily provide haptic cues in Accessibility mode for where the sensor is.
Lastly, the new design still doesn't have a physical home button, so the argument about the sensor is moot. Blind persons will still need to find the exact same under glass "button" location.