The new Apple’s iPhone 8 is going to be launched later this year, and it should come with an OLED display and wireless charging technology, but its Touch ID will likely be placed on the back of the device, according to the equity research firm CLSA from Hong Kong.
Here is an extract from a research note by Sebastian Hou and Brian Chen from CLSA: “iPhone to ditch fingerprint sensor? We don’t think so. Both Samsung and Apple tried to enable in-display fingerprint sensing on full-screen OLED phones in 2017, but their optical tech seems immature and the major iPhone 8 bottleneck. Some thus speculate the fingerprint sensor will be removed and replaced by 3D sensing. Our latest supply chain checks indicate the iPhone 8 will still have the sensor given security, user-friendliness, and a need for payments infrastructure, but there is a high chance it will be on the back like Samsung’s Galaxy S8.”
The company even created a diagram which shows that the position of Touch ID is just below the Apple logo on the rear end. Samsung’s Galaxy S8 has a fingerprint sensor on the back side, right next to the camera, which many people find awkward. But if it is placed lower on the iPhone 8, it would make things much easier and more practical.
What we also see in the diagram is the dual-lens camera which is vertically positioned and rumors about this type of shooter have been circulating for a long time. Moreover, the rumored 3D sensing and facial recognition functionality are also seen next to the front camera, whereas all of the other features are the same as the ones on the current iPhone 7.
The new iPhone 8’s height and width will be 144 mm and 71 mm respectively, which means that this device will be slightly larger than its predecessor and with the depth of 7.69 mm slightly thicker than the iPhone 5s. The smartphone giant apparently struggles to integrate the fingerprint sensor into the display of the device, so putting it on the back is a backup plan.
Some other challenges might postpone the launch for one month, which means that the shipments could start in November. The majority of analysts agree that Apple will manage to stick to the schedule and announce the iPhone 8 in September together with iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus.
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