iPhone 16 leak claims Apple still won’t bring back Touch ID

A new leak suggests the iPhone 16 won’t bring back Touch ID. Upcoming iPhones could continue to rely on Face ID alone.

Apple abandoned Touch ID with the iPhone X, and ever since, rumors have persisted about the authentication technology making a comeback with each subsequent iPhone release. The Cupertino company was expected to finally bring back Touch ID with the iPhone 16 but new info says that may not happen anytime soon.

As reported by MacRumors, Apple has discontinued most of the equipment used to manufacture Touch ID chips, and it has no plans to use it on iPhone 16 models.

Touch ID could remain in the past

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Future iPhones are likely to retain Face ID as their primary authentication method. This information originates from a Weibo user with a credible track record of sharing Apple’s plans.

The source said Apple is only making Touch ID chips for the 2022 iPhone SE and has no plans to bring back Touch ID to future iPhones.

“The fingerprint recognition chip utilizes a specialized 8-inch process. However, many of the devices originally equipped with this technology for Apple’s fingerprint recognition have been shut down and sealed. This suggests that Apple is likely not pursuing fingerprint recognition as the primary method for unlocking their phones,” reads the machine-translated version of the Weibo user’s post.

If what the source claims is true, the upcoming iPhone SE 4 will also not feature Touch ID. This is actually a good thing because you’d get more screen real estate.

It would be great if Apple adopted an under-display fingerprint scanner like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it sounds like they’re not going that route.

Speaking of which, Apple could soon move the Face ID under the display of upcoming iPhones. In any case, taking these leaks with a pinch of salt is always a good idea.