It has been rumored in the past as well that Apple might eliminate the home button on future iPhones to increase the display size without having to make a major change in the actual dimensions of the device itself. That would present a problem though, where would the fingerprint sensor that’s embedded underneath the home button go? Rumor has it Apple is developing a new display which will put the fingerprint sensor in the display panel itself.
DigiTimes reports today, citing unnamed sources in Taiwan’s integrated circuit industry that Apple is working on single-chip solutions for future iPhones that feature touch and display driver integration. This will enable the the display to essentially function as a fingerprint sensor as well.
Apple does have multiple patents to its name that relate to something like this happening in the future so we can’t really discount the possibility that the fingerprint sensor could actually be moved to the display.
However that will warrant a major change in the software experience since the home button is currently also used to come back from applications and launch Siri, presumably these features will have to be moved to gestures if the home button is to be done away with for good.
It’s too soon to say right now when Apple might put these plans in action and bring out an iPhone that doesn’t have a home button, which has remained a constant design feature on its smartphones ever since the first iPhone came out back in 2007.