Apple shuts down touch ID division, iPhone SE 4 may feature Face ID authentication: report

Published On: November 24, 2023

Highlights

Sources say that most of the equipment used to manufacture the chips required for the iPhone’s version of ‌Touch ID‌ has now been permanently shut down.
What this means is that the fourth-generation iPhone SE will finally make the move to Face ID for authentication.
iPhone SE 4 might finally make the transition to Face ID.

Apple has moved past the Touch ID sensor on iPhones, with the iPhone SE 3 being the only exception. Though nothing substantial, there were rumours that Touch ID might make a return but now the latest reports dismiss them. The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo, who has a track record of sharing information about Apple’s plans.

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Apple Touch ID will not make a return

In the latest post on China’s social media platform, the source says that most of the equipment originally used to manufacture the chips required for the iPhone’s version of ‌Touch ID‌ has now been permanently shut down.
The Weibo source was the first to report that the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus will retain the A15 Bionic chip and the A16 will be exclusive to Pro models.

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The only remaining units were for the third-generation iPhone SE.
What this means is that the fourth-generation iPhone SE (iPhone SE 4) will finally make the move to Face ID for authentication.
This will be an upgrade to the SE series and brings it in line with the modern iPhones.
The latest Weibo post also suggests that Apple has no plans to bring back the Touch ID authentication method on iPhones in the immediate future.
There aren’t any noteworthy rumours about the return of Apple’s Touch ID authentication for the iPhone 16 lineup, at least one that is verified and dependable.

There are also rumours that Apple is working on an under-display fingerprint sensor technology similar to Android phones and this could debut in 2026. Weibo recently predicted that the chip designed for the upcoming iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will be manufactured using a distinct manufacturing process. This will be different from the A17 Pro chip on the iPhone 15 Pro models to reduce production costs.