iPhone 8 To Replace Touch ID With ‘Function Area’

The introduction of Touch ID to the iPhone was probably one of the better ideas that Apple has had in recent years. It also kicked off a trend which saw many OEMs start to introduce similar security features as well. However it seems that Touch ID could soon be replaced on the iPhone, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

According to the latest investor note from Kuo, he claims that Apple will remove Touch ID from the bottom part of the iPhone 8. Instead Apple is expected to replace it with what he is calling a “Function area”. It is unclear as to what this function area will be for, but it has been speculated that maybe it could end up being similar to the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pros.

As to what could replace Touch ID, Kuo suggested that biometric security will still be present, but he did not detail what it could be. However previously we have heard rumors that facial/iris scanning tech could be a possibility, but do take it with a grain of salt for now. According to Kuo, the removal of Touch ID and the inclusion of the function area is expected to give the phone about 5.15-inches of usable display real estate, but the overall face of the device is apparently 5.8-inches.

Kuo also claims that the iPhone 8 will pack a larger battery thanks to Apple adopting a stacked “substrate-like” PCB mainboard. Kuo has been pretty accurate with his predictions in the past, but this does seem like a pretty huge departure for Apple in terms of function and design, so like we said maybe it’s a good idea to take it with a grain of salt for now.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones, Rumors
Tags: iPhone, Security, touch id