Bloomberg's latest study today sheds more insight on what to expect from the iPhone upgrade this year. The study states that Apple "is not planning major changes" to the 2021 iPhone, but one key update is testing: an in-screen fingerprint reader.
Internally, Bloomberg notes that Apple developers point to the 2021 iPhone as a "S" year refresh, suggesting slight improvements to the iPhone 12.
Apple is not considering significant updates to the iPhone range this year, following the upgrades made to the handset in 2020, including 5G and new prototypes, according to people who are familiar with the situation. Within Apple, developers consider the next iPhones to be another "S" version of the smartphone, a nomenclature usually granted to new iPhones with slight improvements.
The big change, though, is that Apple is evaluating support for this year's iPhone in-screen fingerprint reader. At the end of the day, it's not clear if this feature will make the iPhone 12S cut, but there's something in testing:
Although overall improvements will be minimal, Apple is still evaluating a key update for 2021: an in-screen fingerprint reader. It will introduce a new way for users to access their iPhone, moving beyond Passcode and Face ID facial recognition. Apple began moving away from fingerprint scanners in 2017 with the introduction of the iPhone X, but since then the Touch ID has remained a default on Mac laptops and cheaper iPhones. Qualcomm Inc., which sells 5G modems to Apple, announced a quicker in-screen fingerprint sensor earlier this month.
This isn't the first time we've learnt of Contact ID returning to the iPhone. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo announced in August 2019 that an iPhone with both a Face ID and a Touch ID underscreen will be launched in 2021. In addition, the reliable leaker L0vetodream also confirmed that the in-screen Touch ID would soon find its way to the iPhone.
Finally, Bloomberg writes that Apple has "discussed removing the charging port for some iPhone models in favor of wireless charging." Again, it's not clear if this move will find its way to the 12S iPhone, or if Apple will reserve it for a future device. It's worth remembering that Ming-Chi Kuo projected in 2019 that Apple will be releasing an iPhone without a Lightning port in 2021.
The article also notes that AirTags are already on target to be launched sometime this year, with Apple initially aiming to introduce them alongside the iPhone 12.
0 Comments