iPhone with Touch IDSource: iMore

What you need to know

  • A new report reiterates the iPhone 13 will likely have an under-display fingerprint scanner.
  • That's according to analysts at Barclays.
  • The news echoes previous reports stating Touch ID will return to iPhone this year.

A new report reiterates that the iPhone 13 will "likely" have a fingerprint scanner under the display, echoing previous reports.

From MacRumors:

iPhone 13 models slated for release later this year will "likely" feature a fingerprint scanner embedded under the display for authentication, in addition to Face ID, according to Barclays analyst Andrew Gardiner and three of his colleagues.

In a research note shared with MacRumors today, the analysts added that iPhone 13 models will feature a smaller notch and that the LiDAR Scanner will remain limited to iPhone 13 Pro models this year, which lines up with information shared by well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this month. Barclays said its research is at least partly based on "extensive industry conversations" with suppliers in recent weeks.

The note itself says the adoption of "fingerprint-under-glass" is "likely" in the iPhone 13, and will be a structural headwind for additional 3D sensing content at Apple "and could be the security feature of the future."

Previously the ultra-reliable Mark Gurman has reported that Apple is working on an under-display fingerprint scanner. From that report:

While there aren't many changes expected for this year's iPhone lineup in the fall, the company is expected to include an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Though overall changes will be minor, Apple is still testing a key upgrade for 2021: an in-screen fingerprint reader. This would add a new method for users to unlock their iPhone, going beyond a passcode and Face ID facial recognition. Apple started to move away from fingerprint sensors in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, but Touch ID has remained as a feature on Mac laptops and cheaper iPhones since then. Qualcomm Inc., which provides Apple with 5G modems, earlier this month announced a faster in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Joanna Stern at the Wall Street Journal has also reported on the same rumor, as well as serial Apple leaker Jon Prosser and l0vetodream.

A big upgrade over the iPhone 11, the iPhone 12 is one of the best iphones in recent years the iPhone 13 (or 12S) is expected to be a more minor upgrade that could include a 120Hz display.