iPhone 8 Rumors: Apple to Ditch Fingerprint Scanner to Hit Target Launch Schedule?
Apple might end up ditching the fingerprint scanner module for the iPhone 8 to avoid any delay on the device's release.
Andy Hargreaves of Pacific Crest Securities suggests in a recent industry report that the upcoming premium smartphone device may be shipped without a fingerprint scanner, according to CNBC.
In Hargreaves' recent note to investors, he said: "Checks with suppliers suggest Apple is struggling with optical fingerprint functionality, which could lead to delays in supply of the coming OLED iPhone or elimination of fingerprint sensing in the OLED iPhone in favor of a biometric login that relies exclusively on 3D sensing."
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It can be recalled that embedding the fingerprint scanner underneath the display panel is necessary after Apple reportedly decided to push the bezels further to the edges to achieve a much bigger screen design.
The major design revamp was also reiterated in a report by Pacific Crest Securities that said (via Investor's Business Daily), "The anticipated move to a full-screen OLED panel in the coming iPhone 8/X eliminates the physical home button, which necessitates a move to a virtual home button and an optical fingerprint sensing solution to read fingerprints through the OLED panel."
On the other hand, a recent leaked set of schematics that allegedly show the possible design of the iPhone 8 has surfaced. The image suggests that Apple will not totally do away with the physical home button but will only move it to the rear side of the device.
The said leaked schematics featured the highly expected bigger screen design. But the renders also suggest that the iPhone 8 might sport a vertically-aligned dual-lens camera instead of the design that the iPhone 7 Plus currently has.
Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, industry sources tipped that Apple is now testing prototypes of the three upcoming smartphones which are widely dubbed as the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus, and the premium iPhone 8.
The said devices are expected to be released within this year.
