A fan-made render of the iPhone 14(Image credit: Ben Geskin)
From better battery life to improved storage, there are a few token features that top iPhone users' wish lists every year. But a rather unusual request has been doing the rounds for the last couple of years, mainly thanks to the pandemic. And yes, Touch ID might finally return with the iPhone 14.
As anyone who's tried unlocking an iPhone with FaceID while wearing a mask will attest, it isn't exactly a seamless experience. But new leaks suggest under-display Touch ID could solve the problem in 2022 – but it might be reserved for high-end models. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best early Apple Black Friday deals).
Touch ID has already returned to the iPad mini (Image credit: Apple)
According to established Apple leaker LeaksApplePro (via iDropNews), Touch ID is being tested under the display for the iPhone 14. But the bad news is that the tech has been dropped from the regular 14 series, since Apple "wants to differentiate the regular iPhones from the Pro line".
While Apple isn't exactly known for reversing its design decisions (that headphone jack is not coming back), TouchID, like MagSafe for the MacBook Pro, is making a rare comeback. The fingerprint scanning tech has already returned to the iPad Air 4 and the iPad mini, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it finally come back to the iPhone.
Face ID doesn't exactly play nice with masks (Image credit: Apple/Future owns)
This would only be good news for iPhone users. Many have been crying out for Touch ID to return – first launched with 2013's iPhone 5S, it was removed in favour of Face ID for 2017's iPhone X. But the company probably wasn't banking on us all wearing face coverings three years later, judging by the makeshift workarounds it's had to implement to make Face ID actually, you know, work.
From the nixxing of the notch to incredible camera tech, we've already heard plenty of iPhone 14 rumours lately. But while we never thought the most exciting would involve the return of old tech, if there's anything the last two years have thought us all, it's to expect the unexpected. Check out the best iPhone 13 deals below (you can actually expect to find great iPhone 13 deals here).
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
