Analyst: Apple will replace Touch ID tech with optical fingerprint readers

In a note to clients — as noted by AppleInsider — KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple will replace existing Touch ID technology with optical fingerprint readers, a change that could arrive as soon as this year, as Apple is expected introduce a full-screen OLED iPhone model this fall.

What’s more, he says Apple is developing advanced biometric security technologies, including facial recognition. Kuo predicts that Apple will turn to optical type fingerprint sensing technology capable of accepting readings through OLED panels without need for capacitive charge components. These “under panel” systems allow for a completely uniform screen surface, an aesthetic toward which the smartphone industry is trending, notes AppleInsider. 

Chances that this will happen (IMHO): 80%. Apple has filed patents for fingerprint sensors that work through displays. The company has also filed for a patent for “electronic devices with hand detection circuitry” that would allow gadgets with specialized sensors to detect whether a user’s right hand or left hand is being used to operate the touch-sensitive display.