Apple may have to drop the Touch ID from its upcoming iPhone 8, according to Pacific Crest Securities equity research analyst Andy Hargreaves.
The iPhone 8 may not come with the core feature if Apple is not able to solve the problems that it has encountered in embedding the fingerprint sensor beneath the display of the smartphone within about a month, Hargreaves said.
iPhone 8 To Move Touch ID Beneath Display
A previous report claimed that Apple is currently working on two different versions for the upcoming iPhone 8. The first version of the smartphone will have Touch ID technology, previously positioned on the home button, located underneath the device's display. This will allow the iPhone 8 to have a near bezel-less front, with the bezels only measuring 4 mm around the screen. The second version, meanwhile, is an overall larger device compared to the iPhone 7.
The report of a near bezel-less iPhone 8 was corroborated by leaked renders of the smartphone, showing no Home button in front of the device.
However, it was previously reported that Apple is having trouble getting the technology to work. The integration of the Touch ID underneath the iPhone 8 display remains the "biggest bottleneck" in the preparation of mass production for the smartphone.
Apple already technically removed the home button with the iPhone 7, as the mechanical button has been replaced with a static button that is touch sensitive. Apple also introduced 3D Touch in the iPhone 6s, which can be used to transfer home button functions to other parts of the screen.
However, Touch ID remains a core feature in the iPhone 8, as it is used for a variety of purposes. The fingerprint scanner allows users to unlock their smartphone, log in to various apps and services, and authenticate Apple Pay transactions.
iPhone 8: No Touch ID Or Delayed Release?
According to Hargreaves, there are two options for Apple, and that is to either move forward with the iPhone 8 without Touch ID technology or to delay the release of the smartphone.
If Apple is able to solve the challenges that it is facing in the integration of Touch ID technology into the iPhone 8 screen within about a month, Hargreaves said that the company will likely place volume orders right away to begin the mass production of the smartphone. However, if the issue is not yet solved in that time frame, the iPhone 8 may not come with a fingerprint scanner.
Dropping Touch ID from the iPhone 8 will put a lot of pressure on 3D sensing technology to offer the same security in verifying the identity of the smartphone's owner. Suppliers have claimed that the 3D sensing technology of Apple is fast and very reliable, increasing the chances that Apple will drop Touch ID from the iPhone 8 if it is unable to find a workaround for its current problems.
Whether Apple will push out the iPhone 8 without Touch ID technology or instead delay the smartphone's release to be able to incorporate the core feature remains to be seen, but for the sake of user security, it would be best if Apple will be able to include the feature in its upcoming premium flagship device.
