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iPhone 8 to include a rear-facing Touch ID sensor

Updated: Apr 19, 2017, 11:07 AM

Ben Reid

A mock-up of what the iPhone 8 may end up looking like

According to some new information, Apple could pipe the Touch ID component of its next-gen iPhone onto the rear of the device. A move that would see Cupertino follow both Google and Samsung with their most recent flagship handsets, the switch would mark a departure from the long-standing, below-screen arrangement.

One of the reasons why Samsung switched the fingerprint authentication hardware from the front of the device was to facilitate the new Infinity Display. It's believed the Korean company wanted to have the feature baked into the display of the Galaxy S8 series, but couldn't quite get the requisite tech ready in time. As such, the S8 and S8+ sport fingerprint scanners alongside the main cameras.

Apple has faced difficulties in trying to integrate its Touch ID fingerprint reading system into the iPhone 8's OLED display

Meanwhile, Apple has apparently been trying to pull the same stunt of splicing Touch ID and the new OLED display of the iPhone 8. As with Sammy, though, things haven't gone as smoothly as predicted, prompting one analyst to suggest that the special edition handset to mark the iPhone's 10th year may even be delayed. As our married readers will attest, you can't really push an anniversary back and instead, the fruit company may simply relocate Touch ID to the back of the iPhone 8's body.

As a refresher, Apple is expected to roll out a landmark iPhone 8 this year alongside the to-be-expected iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. The iPhone 8 will supposedly get that aforementioned OLED display -- curved edge, no less -- and if it is ready by Apple's traditional September announcement period, it'll surely offer a few more perks over the 7s series. Indeed, the new schematics leak by resident Apple informant Sonny Dickson offers one or two clues as to what else may be in store.

Purported iPhone 8 schematic drawing shows where the Touch ID sensor may reside

As you'll notice in the image above, the rear-facing camera duo is arranged vertically as opposed the horizontal configuration of the iPhone 7 Plus, while the repositioned Touch ID sits below the Apple logo. The schematics also offer an idea as to the measurements of the iPhone 8. If they're correct, the handset will be around half a centimeter wider and a centimeter longer than the existing iPhone 7. Rumor has it that the iPhone 8 will boast a 5.8-inch screen, though, so for that slight increase in overall footprint, users will potentially gain more than an inch of display real estate over the current 4.7-inch handset. Not bad.

For now, this is only a drawing, and may just be a contingency plan should the embedded Touch ID gig not work out. Given Apple's affinity to seamlessness -- and the potential bonus of rolling out a feature Samsung couldn't prepare in time -- it's very likely that the firm will take the embedded route if at all possible. Given the reports of low yields, though, Apple could play it safe and move Touch ID from front to back.

What do you think -- would you welcome this change for a potentially more favorable screen-to-body ratio? Let us know down below.

source: Sonny Dickson via TechCrunch