Apple will reportedly be releasing a notch-less and Face ID-less iPhone model next year, and might do away with the notch moving forward.
Two new reports (via MacRumors) claimed that Apple is looking to eliminate the notch in future iPhone models, and will start by releasing either an iPhone with a thinner notch, or one entirely without the notch, next year.
According to reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Chinese site MyDrivers), Apple will release at least one iPhone model with a thinner notch. Kuo said Apple will be able to do this by using a smaller front camera compared to the one found on existing iPhone models. This will help improve the iPhone's screen-to-bezel ratio.
According to a report from the China Times, on the other hand, an analyst from Credit Suisse believes that the Cupertino tech giant intends to release at least one iPhone model that's entirely devoid of the notorious notch, as well as Face ID, in 2020. The Credit Suisse analyst said this new iPhone will have an under-display front camera and will feature a full-screen acoustic fingerprint authentication.
The under-display front camera sounds similar to the one Chinese smartphone giant Oppo revealed earlier. Oppo's under-screen camera (USC) allows for all-screen front designs by placing a wide camera beneath an area of the display that uses a special material to let light pass through.
The full-screen fingerprint authentication feature, on the other hand, sounds like an alll-screen Touch ID. While the new report may seem contrary to an earlier report that claimed Apple "Apple may remove 3D touch sensors from all 2019 iPhone devices," it's entirely possible that Apple isn't eliminating Touch ID; it will do away with the 3D Touch sensor, but replace it with something else to keep Touch ID.
Touch ID?
The reports seem to lineup with an earlier report that said Apple plans to release an iPhone without Face ID, but with Touch ID, in China next year. The information, coming from an "industry insider," said that by removing the technology used for Face ID, Apple will be able to sell the new iPhone at a lower price that might become attractive to budget-conscious Chinese consumers.
Whether Kuo and the other analyst's predictions pertain to the China-only Touch ID-enabled iPhone or not remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more updates.
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
