This essay created on MiniTool official web tells you that Apple will probably not have the touch ID utility in its coming iPhone 13 series, which is a big surprise for the rest of the world since its really inconvenient to keep using face ID while you have to wear a mask in most time when the global virus is spreading.
09/16/2021 update: iPhone 13 doesn’t bring back touch ID and users have to stay with face ID or password to unlock their iPhone 13. All four models of iPhone 13 will be available on September 24, 2021.
09/10/2021 update: Apple is going to reveal its next-gen iPhone 13 on Sep. 14 together with Apple Watch Series 7 and AirPods 3.
What Is Touch ID?
Touch ID is an electronic fingerprint recognition feature enabling users to unlock electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, doors, etc. It is designed and released by Apple Corporation. Apple touch ID also allows people to authenticate Apple Pay online or in apps and make purchases in various Apple digital media stores such as the Apple Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Books Store.
Besides, touch ID can be used to lock and unlock password-protected notes on iPhones and iPads. It was first introduced with iPhone 5S in 2013. In 2015, Apple published a faster second-gen touch ID in the iPhone 6S. In 2016, touch ID made its laptop debut in the MacBook Pro integrated on the right side of the Touch Bar.
Touch ID has been used on all iPads since the iPad Air 2 was released in 2014. In MacBooks, each user account can have at most 3 fingerprints and altogether 5 fingerprints across the system. fingerprint info is saved locally in a secure enclave on the Apple A7 and later chips, not in the cloud, a design choice intended to make it impossible for users or malicious hackers to externally access the fingerprint information.
Apple retained touch ID on iPhone 8, iPhone SE, and the base model iPads, while all iPhones since the iPhone X in 2017, as well as the higher-end iPad Pro adopted Face ID recognition. The fourth generation of iPad Air incorporates a touch ID sensor on the sleep/walk button. In 2021, Apple unveiled a new line of iMacs that can be configured with touch ID on the Magic Keyboard.
About iPhone 13 Touch ID
Earlier, it was rumored and also expected that iPhone 13 will be equipped with an in-screen Touch ID since it is inconvenient for users to use their face ID while they are wearing masks during the global pandemic.
However, recent news said that iPhone 13 won’t have a touch ID, which has shocked many people. “The company has tested an in-display fingerprint scanner for this year’s devices, however that feature will likely not appear on this generation of iPhones (iPhone 13)” explain Gurman and Wu in Bloomberg.
Yet, on the contrary, Google pulled the facial recognition system on its Pixel 4 in favor of reverting to a fingerprint sensor for the Pixel 5. Although Apple did try to mitigate the problems of using face ID with a mask by introducing an iPhone unlock system using the Apple Watch in iOS 14.5, it is a convoluted experience and obviously requires you to own an Apple Watch in the first place.
That disappointed many people especially when the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still popular all around the world and it seems that it will maintain strong for at least another year. It’s extremely inconvenient and unsafe to take off your mask to unlock his mobile phone and put on the mask again. Not long later, you need to do it again when you need to use your phone again.
Normally, people will need to unlock their phone many times and even over a hundred times within a day to do various works like check the time, look for whether, receive messages, view social posts, make phone calls, listen to music…
If every time they need to take off their mask to unlock their cellphones, it would be really annoying. Of course, you can use your screen password. Yet, it is still time-consuming. So, iPhone 13 introduces an always-on mode? How about the power consumption? Will the larger iPhone 13 battery handle the higher power consumption caused by the always-on display?
Anyway, most users would like to have the touch ID back as soon as possible although the new rumor indicates that we will have it in the next year’s iPhone 14. Who knows!
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Helen Graduated from university in 2014 and started working as a tech editor in the same year. Her articles focus on video creation, editing, and conversion. She also has a good knowledge of disk management and data backup & recovery. Through an in-depth exploration of computer technology, Helen has successfully helped thousands of users solve their annoying problems.