Apple’s Touch ID could stage a comeback as soon as 2020

The introduction of Apple’s iPhone X saw the company drop the home button to create room for an end-to-end display. Previous iPhones had the Touch ID sensor built directly into the Home button for easier recognition and unlocking.

Unfortunately, the removal of the home button means the embedded Touch ID fingerprint scanner is no longer available as well.

This development didn’t really go down well with many iPhone users and sparked lots of argument and criticism from critiques. Until its removal, Apple’s Touch ID offered the best fingerprint recognition technology that other smartphones couldn’t exactly replicate.

The technology featured by the Touch ID is one of the most advanced hardware and software ever on any smartphone. Within seconds, it can take and analyze high-resolution images of your fingerprint to unlock your device and authenticate your online Apple Pay-supported purchases.

Face ID is capable but still falls short of Touch ID’s Convenience and Multifunctionality

When Apple introduced the replacement Face ID biometric authentication method for its new iPhone X series, it seemed like the only right thing to do.

Unlike Touch ID, Face ID completely ditched Fingerprint recognition technology and adopted a TrueDepth camera system instead. The TrueDepth camera system captures detailed infrared images of your face for secure authentication and Apple Pay purchase.

Face ID definitely lives up to its expectations when it comes to authentication and security but falls short of Touch ID’s ease of use and multifunctionality.

That is why Apple users have repeatedly clamored for the re-introduction of the Touch ID. If the recent rumors flying around are anything to go by, their clamor may have yielded a good result.

Your favorite “Touch ID” feature is coming back

Recently, Apple patented a design that could see them re-introduce the old biometric system with an upgraded Touch ID authentication. The patented design features a pin-hole optical image sensor underneath the screen.

This sensor will help capture a 3D map of your fingerprint whenever you place your finger anywhere on the screen.

What’s more? The patented design replicates a working prototype, which means we could be seeing this alongside the much-purported 5G connectivity on the 2020 iPhone series.

While it seems unlikely for Apple to ditch the Face ID, the new in-display Touch ID could act as a supplementary biometric identification.