Apple is Developing New 3D Touch and Touch ID Sensors for Future iPhones [Report]

Apple is developing new 3D Touch and Touch ID sensors to be used in future iPhones, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

It's widely rumored that Apple will be moving to a curved OLED display for its next generation iPhone. To accommodate the flexible OLED panel, Apple reportedly needs to make changes to the current 3D Touch sensor.

Apple may switch to a film sensor from the current FPCB sensor in order to provide better 3D Touch user experience, as a film sensor offers higher sensitivity. Also, we expect the new OLED iPhone will come with a flexible OLED panel. To avoid deforming the form factor of the flexible OLED panel from touch operation pressure, a metal structural part will be placed under the film sensor to provide more robust structural support.


Another feature rumored for Apple's new iPhone is a Touch ID sensor embedded into the display. Kuo says that the "under glass" design of the current sensor doesn't meet the requirements of "under panel" placement and so Apple is developing new Touch ID technology for the new iPhone "to complement its full-screen (zero bezel) form factor design and to enhance transactions security".

Apple is purportedly aiming to switch from a capacitive type system to an optical type. Ultimately, Apple is allegedly planning to switch to a facial recognition system. "However, if the technical challenges cannot be overcome, we believe a combination of fingerprint and facial recognition is another possible solution."

Judging by the bio-recognition patents that Apple has applied for, we believe it is leaning toward facial recognition technology rather than iris recognition. However, we note that the technical challenges of facial recognition include: (1) algorithms; (2) hardware design; and (3) the build-out of a database for verification and authentication, which could be time consuming. As such, before Apple can fully replace the fingerprint system with facial recognition, a combination of the two steps of bio-recognition could be a valid solution for enhancing transactions security.

We've been hearing reports for some time that the 10th anniversary iPhone will be a major update. It will purportedly have a front glass cover and chassis, joined by a metal bezel and an edge-to-edge display that has no bezels on the top and bottom. Additionally, the front camera, Touch ID, speaker, and other sensors will apparently be embedded into the display. Another report claims that the device would be a clear piece of glass with a next-generation OLED screen. More recently, Apple is said to have be equipping the phone with wireless charging and a 3D camera.


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[via MacRumors]