Kuo: Under-display Touch ID coming to in 2023, foldable iPhone in 2024

By Joe Wituschek
published

iPhone with Touch ID
iPhone with Touch ID (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has some delays to talk about with the iPhone.
  • Kuo believes that under-display Touch ID will not come to the iPhone until 2023.
  • The analyst also predicts that Apple will release its foldable iPhone in 2024.

It looks like we still have quite a bit to wait for some of the most exciting features coming to the iPhone.

In a new note from supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the analyst believes that Apple is running into development issues that could delay two key upcoming features of the iPhone.

First, the analyst believes that an under-display Touch ID technology, which some hoped would come to the iPhone 13 this year, will not make its way into the iPhone until at least the second quarter of 2023.

Kuo also believes that Apple's rumored foldable iPhone won't come to reality until 2024. That is also most likely to see an announcement in the fall like every other major iPhone release for years.

We have revised our forecast to delay the launch of the iPhone with under-display fingerprint and the foldable iPhone to 2H23 and 2024, respectively, due to lower than expected development progress. We believe this will hurt iPhone shipments in 2022 and 2023.

For next year, the analyst expects Apple to release a major camera upgrade and get rid of the iPhone notch for good on its Pro models.

While we wait for the iPhone 15 and foldable iPhone, we still have the iPhone 13 to enjoy this week. The latest generation of iPhone, which went live for preorder last Friday, will officially release to customers online and in stores on Friday, September 24.

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iPhone 13


All-new A15 Bionic processor, new cameras, and more

Joe Wituschek
Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.

3 Comments
  • This just means that some other OEMs, like Samsung and Motorola will on their 6th iteration of their foldables. Now I can see Apple releasing an iPhone Flip type foldable device. That will always stay as an iPhone, like the Galaxy Z Flips, or Motorola Razr type devices. But Apple will NEVER be able to make a Galaxy Z Fold, Mate X, or other foldable that can be both a smartphone and a tablet in one physical foldable device. The reason why Apple can't make such a device is because of Apples app ecosystem problem. Apples app ecosystem is not conducive for foldables that could be both an iPhone and a iPad in the one iFoldable device. Apples app development currently encourages their developers to make separate iPhone apps, and separate iPad apps, and that will NEVER work for that type of device, period. Both Google and their Android took a path that is conducive for a device that can be both a smartphone and a tablet in the one physical device. Plus app developers only have to make one app that supports both smartphones and tablets. So you will be waiting a long time for Apples first foldable device.
  • Probably a good point on the foldables that go out to tablet form. One of the drawbacks of Android though is that their 'scaling' from phone to tablet isn't particularly stellar. One reason Android tablets don't sell that well. Sort of harkens back to the 2X option on iPads when you ran an iPhone app. As far as underscreen fingerprint, I'd probably be happier with one in the Start(power) button, or a touch ID sensor on the back. They know how to do both. Have a Pixel with the unlock on the back, and actually like that. None of these should be instead of FaceID though. That is my favorite. I have thought a bit about why, and it is because it really requires no effort on my part to unlock. Fingerprint sensors of any sort make unlocking a deliberate step. Minor step, granted, but still something you need to do. FaceID just unlocks when I make the natural motion of looking at my phone. I pick it up to use it, and it unlocks. Yes I need to swipe up to do more, or not if I already see what needed on the lock screen, which shows 'unlocked' by that time. Any sort of fingerprint system, would be a backup to FaceID, for me. I already have that with a PIN, so no great improvement, beyond a little faster, I guess.
  • Saying that there is an extra step for finger print scanners is silly. Especially when you mention the Pixel, and lots of other smartphones have rear scanners as well. For example the Pixel can be in your pocket, and when you go to grab it out of your pocket, you can place you finger on the rear of that smartphone, and it will be unlocked and be on the screen where you left off. It's actually faster than FaceID. All it takes is a little muscle memory, and you will be signed into the smartphone, even before you look at the smartphone. Now as far as Foldable iPhones are concerned. He is right that Apples app ecosystem is not conducive for a foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, or basically a foldable that is both a smartphone and a tablet, or in Apples case an iDevice that can be both an iPhone, and a iPad. I recently purchased the Galaxy Z Fold 3, because I like the idea of one device that is a 2 in 1, plus it even supports a pen now. No iPhones currebtly support any pen. I thought the same as you when it comes to Android apps scaling and supporting tablets. However it has improved since I last tried an Android tablet 8 years ago. It is much better, plus it makes sense to run only one app that supports both types of devices. Also there is some app continuity issues still with some apps, especially when folding and unfolding the Z Fold 3, but Apple would not be able to support that at all. Think about it. If there is two apps for iPhones and iPads, which app would a user run on Apples iFoldable device? Plus we already know you couldn't run both versions of the same app on Apples foldable, and you can completely throw away any hope of app continuity between the same app versions. Knowing this, is why I decided to buy the Z Fold 3. It's my first foldable, and I got to say, its pretty nice so far. When Apple decides to join the foldable party, that will mean the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be available. Plus rumors of other OEMs will be coming out with their version of a foldable device, before Apple. Time will tell.