Apple Working On In-Screen Fingerprinting For 2020 iPhones

Sources have said Apple is developing in-screen fingerprint technology that could be available for its 2020 iPhones.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the technology is being tested both inside Apple and among the company’s overseas suppliers. The fingerprint reader would reportedly be embedded in the screen, allowing users to scan their fingerprints on a large portion of the display. The technology would work along with the existing Face ID system.

Trudy Muller, an Apple spokesperson, declined to comment.

If Apple launches the in-screen fingerprint scanner, the company would offer dual biometric options that would unlock and authenticate app transactions with either a user’s face or fingerprint.

This week, it was reported that Apple will roll out a lower-cost iPhone model next spring. The new device would be the company’s first low-cost smartphone since the iPhone SE’s launch in 2016. The price and name of the new device have not yet been determined, but it is reportedly seen as the iPhone SE’s latest generation. The less expensive iPhone could boost Apple sales in the spring of 2020.

In 2016, the original iPhone SE sold roughly 30 million units, with another 10 million sold from 2017 to 2018, per Yuanta Investment Consulting. Jeff Pu, a GF Securities tech analyst, told the outlet, “The cheaper iPhone SE could serve as a sales momentum kicker the first half [of] next year, if the new premium iPhones do not perform well in the coming months.”

Apple will reportedly unveil its next generation of iPhones as well as other products at a Sept. 10 launch event at the company’s Cupertino headquarters. The company said it will live-stream the event on its site at 10 a.m. local time. Apple is not expected to change the basic design of the iPhone. Three new models are forecasted, replacing the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR with the anticipated iPhone 11, 11 Max/11 Pro and 11R.