Ever since Apple introduced Touch ID in the iPhone 5s, the feature has become a staple in pretty much every iPhone released since then. It has found its way onto the iPad and also the 2016 MacBook Pros, but according to analyst Andy Hargreaves of Pacific Crest Securities, there is a possibility of the iPhone 8 launching without the feature.In an excerpt of his research note obtained by MacRumors, “Likely options for Apple include a delay of production or elimination of fingerprint sensing on the OLED iPhone. We believe Apple continues to work on solving its optical fingerprint issues. If it’s able to solve the problems in the next month or so, it would likely place volume orders at that point.”
Hargreaves also notes that this could lead to a delay in the iPhone’s launch. “This would likely lead to a delay of the OLED iPhone launch, but we would not expect it to meaningfully affect volume for the cycle. If it’s not able to fix the problems in that time frame, Apple may be forced to eliminate fingerprint sensing from the OLED iPhone altogether.”
We have heard rumors that Apple could be considering introducing a facial scanning feature with the iPhone 8’s front-facing camera, but whether or not it was meant to be in addition to Touch ID or to replace Touch ID remains to be seen. Alleged drawings have also recently surfaced which suggests that Touch ID could be moved to the back of the phone, but in any case take it with a grain of salt for now.