Kuo says under-display Touch ID and a foldable iPhone are both pushed back one year
If you were looking forward to next year's iPhone 14 series, hoping that the rumored lack of a notch would mean an under-display Touch ID, better think again. TF International's reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has quite an admirable record when it comes to predicting what Apple is going to do, says that an under-display Touch ID won't arrive until iPhone 15 in 2023.
Apple's slower development process is adding a year to under-display Touch ID and the foldable iPhone
The report from Kuo was sent to clients as was viewed by AppleInsider. In the note, he suggests that Apple was indeed planning to include an under-display Touch ID next year but "lower than expected development progress" has pushed back the progress of developing the feature. The analyst didn't say what caused Apple's development to fall behind schedule. The same issue is pushing back the purported release of a foldable iPhone from 2023 to 2024.
Render supposedly showing off an iPhone 14 model
Kuo originally called for Apple to manufacture 15 million to 20 million foldable iPhone models in 2023. Assuming that the broad strokes remain the same, Kuo originally called for Apple to produce a Galaxy Z Fold-style device that opens to reveal a 7.5-inch to 8-inch tablet-sized display with a QHD+ 1800 x 3200 resolution. However, other tipsters said that Apple was selecting between two foldable prototypes and favored a clamshell Galaxy Z Flip type foldable.
The analyst also said earlier this year that Apple was considering an under-display fingerprint scanner to accompany the iPhone 13 series. But he also put the kibosh on that rumor in March. He did reiterate in the new report that the non-Pro iPhone 14 Max will be a cheaper 6.7-inch iPhone model available next year. This would pretty much "second" the rumor that the iPhone 13 mini will be the last mini iPhone model being planned.
Kuo's note also stated that the 2022 iPhone will feature a punch-hole in place of the notch and a 48MP camera will be part of the camera array (possibly on the Pro models only). Next year's lineup is expected to include the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
If a render recently disseminated by a Twitter tipster is correct, the iPhone 14 line, as Kuo says, will get rid of the notch and add a hole-punch camera.
In his note, Kuo states that the delay of under-display Touch ID and the foldable iPhone will "hurt iPhone shipments in 2022 and 2023." As far as a foldable iPhone is concerned, one reason to expect a clamshell design would be to prevent cannibalization of the iPad lineup. That's because a clamshell foldable is a small device when closed possibly with a small external screen for notifications, messages, phone calls, and more.
When the clamshell is open, it would create a screen perhaps as large as 6.7-inches with a tall and thin aspect ratio. If Apple does wait until 2024 to release its foldable iPhone, it will fall behind a number of other major manufacturers such as Samsung (of course), Huawei, Motorola and possibly Google. Earlier today we quoted an industry insider who said, "Apple will not be able to lead the foldable smartphone market for a while with the market being led by Samsung Electronics and Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi releasing such products."
Apple trails behind Android leaders in foldables and in under-display fingerprint scanners/cameras
Let's jump back to the under-display Touch ID. Apple is well behind established Android leaders that have already improved the speed and accuracy of under-display fingerprint scanners. And while under-display cameras still need work, earlier this month an analyst said that Apple is working on an under-display Face ID which would be different than the under-display Touch ID.
No less an authoritative source such as Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) Ross Young said that his supply chain checks found that the iPhone 14 Pro models would have under-display Face ID and a hole-punch selfie camera. But with today's note written by Ming-Chi-Kuo claiming that Apple has delayed the under-display Touch ID and the foldable iPhone by one year each, iPhone buyers will need to monitor the situation in order to make their buying decisions.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: