The prospect of Apple adding Touch ID to next year's iPhone 15 models is looking unlikely, according to recent reports.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, Apple has tested an under-display version of Touch ID designed for the iPhone, but it is not expected to be present on the the iPhone 15 or other flagship models in the foreseeable future.
Adding Touch ID back to the iPhone, in addition to Face ID, could be particularly useful for situations where Face ID is not working optimally. It could also provide an extra layer of security if both authentication methods were required.
Last year, it emerged that Apple was again testing an under-screen fingerprint authentication technology for at least some of the iPhone 13 models, as highlighted by Gurman and The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, but the company apparently decided not to move forward with the feature.
In a September 2021 research note, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple will launch at least one new iPhone model with an under-screen fingerprint scanner in the second half of 2023, which would like up with the launch of the iPhone 15 lineup, but he has not shared any further information since then. "We predict that the new 2H23 iPhone will support under-display fingerprint," Kuo said.
Given Gurman's latest update, Kuo's initial forecast may now be outdated, and the iPhone 15 could continue to wholly rely on Face ID like its predecessor.
